So, What Are You Going To Do About it?
by fiction.is.life
Summary: Because Angel deserves Connor. And Connor deserves a real family.
1. Bombs Away

**CHAPTER TITLE**: Bombs Away  
**FANDOM**: Angel the Series  
**RATING**: R, for language, violence and stuff  
**SUMMARY:** Connor is leading down a dangerous path, and he's taking a few people with him  
**PROMPT: **Connor AU Series, #1 Health

**WARNING: **Discipline Fic  
**CHARACTERS:** Angel, Connor (15), AI Gang, other people, unconcious Cordy  
**DISCLAIMER: **Let's just say, if I owned Angel, I wouldn't need to be writting fanfics, now would I? They would be episodes. AND it would not have been canceled.  
**NOTES:** This is the first of my Connor AU prompt series! Yah! I've never done a prompt series, but I'm trying it out, hoping it works out for the best!(Prompt table on my LJ, which is linked on my profile!)

In this particular AU, Angel doesn't make Connor leave the house, but Connor never wanted to stay in the Hyperion in the first place. Angel does keep a mad close eye on him, kind of like a stalker, and watches out for him. He's still just a kid, and so he never did anything with Cordy, because I will in no way condone underage sex or statutory rape.

This takes place about a month after Connor abrupt return from the Hell Dimension (which I can't ever spell right, so why try?). He's been living around where Sunny was, but that's not really important.

Much of this begining scence comes from the mall scene from AtS Season 4 Finale Episode, Home.

* * *

**Bombs Away**

Angel couldn't believe what he was hearing. He couldn't believe that he was wasting his time with his _enemy_, and hearing what she thought would help fix all his worries. Or his main worry.

Angel shook his head, looking away from Lilah.

The lawyer sighed.

"Angel, this is it. It's the only chance you get." She pointed at the TV screen within the W&H office. The news was still playing, headlining the trauma of what his offspring had become.

There stood young Connor, maneuvering his way through the mall's hall.

Angel refused to admit defeat. He was being offered to head the LA branch of Wolfram and Hart, an evil law firm whose clients round up most of the evils that Angel prides himself in ridding.

Lilah continued to watch him. The news man spoke again, confirming what they could both already see.

"…_evacuated and bomb units have been called to the scene where police say more than a dozen promenade shoppers are being held hostage at this hour. Police are trying to identify the suspect from these security camera pictures. So far, no motive is known for the siege, and the suspect has refused to speak with law enforcement officials. We'll keep you updated as this intense drama unfolds."_

Angel looked at the young boy on the screen. His boy.

"You set this whole thing up," he accused, growling at the woman in front of him.

Lilah rolled her eyes.

"Been a little busy being _dead_."

"You, the Senior Partners, whoever. Get them on the phone and make it stop _now_"

"Love to, except for the little bit where we didn't have anything to do with-

"But you know who did!"

"Yeah, and I'm looking at him."

Angel glared at her, refusing to say a word he turned toward the door, ready to collect his team and head _home_.

"One time offer only, Angel. Walk out that door, deal's off. Stay, and it's all yours."

&&&&&&&&&

Around the law firm, Lorne, Fred, Gunn, and Wesley were all touring with their respective guides. Each was being 'wowed' through the departments that would become their own – that is to say, if Angel were to accept.

Lorne was being showcased the entertainment division of the firm, which consequently represented all of his idols. Though skeptical at first, Lorne was certainly enjoying the possibility.

Fred was led by Knox, the head supervisor of the science department of Wolfram and Hart. The lab where she was led was fully staffed and looked to have the latest technology available. She kept a large gun with her, thinking that at a moments notice someone might want to try something funny and she would be protected.

Wesley skeptically followed his guide into a library, testing the man's knowledge of the prophecies all the whole maintaining his initial thoughts of checking for any signs indicating an evil plan.

Gunn was led by a pretty looking lady named Lacey. Not certain of how he would be of any help in any way that did not include combat, Gunn allowed himself to follow Lacey, with little wonder as to what was really being offered to him.

&&&&&&&&&

Angel stilled before he reached the door. He knew it was a bad idea. He knew what the building and everything inside it stood for. It was everything that was wrong with the world. He hated everything about it and would no, could not, be a part of it.

Not like this.

He looked sideways at the image of Connor, his baby boy and reason to live, the son that he never thought he could have. The boy he would dive headfirst right back into hell for.

"I can't do it, Lilah. Not the way that you're hoping." Angel turned away from the door and walked purposely over to her.

"What have you got in mind?"

"Connor," Angel said in a hard voice, letting her know he was leading her into difficult waters that would only led one way. "What can you do for him? What can you do about _that_?" Angel asked, nudged his head towards the screen but refusing to turn towards it again.

"We can take away all his sufferings. Make all this life like a bad dream. Give him something real. You just say the word."

Angel glared at her.

"What, just give up my son? He's fifteen! He can't just-

"You let him roam the streets for a month, and now you care?"

"I ALWAYS cared! I watched out for him!"

"Yet, you failed to see this coming?"

"You're not doing a very good job of wowing me Lilah," Angel said irritated.

"So, what'll it be?"

&&&&&&&&&

The police have the building surrounded. Inside, the hostages are sitting on the floor, wired to a makeshift explosive device fashioned from propane canisters taped to each person's chest.

Connor stood before the people, pacing slightly as he watched them stoically. He glared at one man, causing him to flinch backwards.

_They don't understand. None of them do. How can they keep living like this? How could they possibly want to?_

Connor tensed. He felt the shift in the room and smelled that familiar scent. He wasn't sure if he was ready for the confrontation, but ultimately that was the reason behind the scandal.

"You got in, I thought you might."

Turning around, Connor looked up to see his father, Angel standing on a balcony in the upstairs part of the store.

Angel jumped down from the balcony, landing a few yards in front of his son.

"Connor? Son?"

There's an explosion coming from behind Angel and he jumped slightly, startled. The hostages are all in various stages of panic, mostly crying.

"You might not want to move," Connor said, eerily calm. "Everyone's rigged. Can't save 'em all, dad." Connor shrugged, looking sideways at the hostages. "Don't know who's gonna be first. Could be any one of 'em." Connor gave his father a little smile, not at all friendly and nowhere near reaching his eyes. He pushed aside a heavy jacket he was wearing to reveal to Angel that he too was rigged. "Could be me." He stepped back a few steps, keeping his watch on his father. When he was besides a clothing rack, he looked down at a slump figure now besides him. "Could be her."

Angel tensed, had he had a beating heart he was certain that it would have stopped at the sight of what he son had just revealed to him. _Baby, how could you?_

Not sure what he was being shown, Angel stepped hesitantly forward…

There laid Cordelia, wired like the others to a makeshift explosive device. Cordy, who had mysteriously vanished the same day that Connor appeared.

"Cordy? Connor, what have you done?"

Angel stared at the motionless figure in complete fear. Could it be possible that all this time Connor had taken her?

"I found her, walking around. She felt familiar, but she couldn't remember anything. She smelled like you. I figured that you'd know her."

Angel looked from his son to the figure lying slumped on the floor.

"Son, you have to listen to me. This isn't the way to go about things."

"What's it even matter?"

"Of course it matters! It's because it matters that it hurts so much-

Angered, Connor swiped at some items resting on a nearby counter. Angel tensed slightly at the movement.

"I didn't feel anything! I can't feel anything," Connor yells back. He locked eyes with Angel. "I guess I really am your son... 'cause I'm dead, too."

Angel started walking towards his son, hating the words that were leaving the teens mouth. He knew that the boy's mental health was unstable, but he hoped that he might help him.

"You're not dead. You're just starting your life-

"No, you just weren't there before!"

Angel's eyes start to tear at the words, hitting him straight at his soul.

"I know. I'm so –

"Do NOT say that you're sorry!" Connor yelled back at him, stopping his father's apology. "It doesn't fix anything." Connor started pacing before him, a mixture of emotions raving through his young mind and injured heart.

"Ok," conceded Angel, blinking back a few tears. "Look, let me say this. I love you, son."

"It's a lie," murmured Connor to himself.

Angel took a slow step towards his son.

"It's not," he said, trying to convey all his love in that simple phrase.

Connor turned slightly away from him, hanging his head. He took a deep breath, sighing what he felt was the ultimate truth.

"It's always a lie. My own mother couldn't even love me."

Angel felt his throat dry up at the words. He could almost hear the words that his sire, Darla, had spoken to him on the night that his miracle son before him was born.

"You're wrong. She did."

Connor tilted slightly towards him. He continued his frantic pacing.

"No," he said sadly, shaking his head. "No, she knew she couldn't."

"She sacrificed herself, _because _she loved you," Angel gasped out, silently pleading that the boy would understand. That he could understand she had left him so that he could live.

Connor stood still and looked back at his father.

"You tried to love me. At least I think you did."

"I still do!"

"But not enough to hold on, Dad," Connor replied in a small voice. He felt like the small child he was never allowed to be. He wished that he could believe the words that his dad was saying, but he just couldn't.

Connor looked back at Angel, glaring at him accusingly.

"You let him take me! You let him get me. You never came to find me!"

Angel gulped back some tears, trying to focus on what he had to do. He had to save Connor. He had to be strong for his son. It was his last chance.

In front of him, Connor turned fully around giving his back to his father. He faced Cordy, who he had spent the last week getting to know. The lady was really nice and real funny. She had a lot of quirks about her that annoyed the boy, but she was very much like him. Lost in a strange world. She couldn't remember much of her's and he had been thrusted back into this one. From one hell into another.

She had seemed so nice to him. Could that have been a lie to?

"Cordy?" he asked the unconscious form. "You swore you'd help me understand this world. But you don't belong in it either. Where are you now?"

Behind him, Angel pulled himself together, he took tentive steps towards his wayward son.

"Connor," he whispered, unsure of how his son would react. "You have to believe that there are people that love you."

"For what? What's there to love, Dad? I have nothing in me for anyone to love. All there are, are lies."

"That's not true, Connor. You're not a lie, and you're not dead. You're real, and we do love you. I want to give you everything. I want to take back the mistakes, help you start over."

Angel kept taking steps forward, trying to reach his son, hating how the boy's fingers lingered over the trigger remote button. Connor in step, took slower steps away, shaking his head slightly.

"We can't start over," he replied, barely above a whisper.

Angel stared back at him, clenching his hands, stopping them from reaching out the last few feet and wrapping his fragile son up in his arms. Instead, he whispered back to the boy a silent plea.

"We can! I mean, we can change things." _Please Connor, believe me. I can help you son, just believe me._

"There's only one thing that ever changes anything," responded Connor's cold voice, sending a shiver down Angel's spine. The resolution evident in the boy's hurting eyes. "And that's death."

Angel began to cry at the words. _No, Connor. Death is not a means, it's the end. It's not for you. Not now, and not anytime soon._

"Everything else is just a lie," Connor said, seeing the hurt in his father's eyes, hoping for the man to understand. After all, Angel did love him once before. Maybe, after, he would forgive him. Maybe in time, he would be able to understand.

"You can't be saved by a lie," Connor told him. "You can't be saved at all."

Connor looked down at the explosives strapped to him. He started to try and activate it when he startled backwards by a punch to his chin.

Angel reached forward and grabbed the remote from the slim hands, yanking the wires off of the devices with all his strength before tossing it aside, hating the thing for being on his son.

Connor glared at his father, hating him for interfering. He reached out to punch him, but Angel dodged the move. Instead, he got another punch to the face, which sent him a step back.

Connor strikes back at Angel, this time making contact. He then rushed over to some weights, using one to punch out at Angel when he reappeared behind him.

Angel got the knocked down by the full impact of his son's strength and the heavy weight. He looked up to see Connor rush over to some baseball bats. Grabbing one, Connor came back at him, swinging for his head just as he was standing. He ducked out of the way, causing Connor instead to hit a clothing rack.

Angel grabbed a bowling ball and punched Connor in the face with it. Connor staggered, but quickly recovered and punched back. But Angel grabbed at him and threw him across the room into a counter. Connor fell to the floor, rolling to a still.

Dashing over to the hostages, Angel helped them to undo their restraints and unwire themselves.

"Run. Hurry. All of you. GO." He told them, watching as they frantically pulled off the devices and rush over and out the door.

Connor stood back up, watching as the last of the hostages made it out the door. It was just him and Angel left, father and son. He glared at the back of his dad's figure, wanting nothing more now than to make him leave so that he could just end it all, like it should be.

Connor grabbed at Angel, but Angel just turned around and punched him back. Angel made a swipe at Connor's feet, hoping to knock the boy over. Connor, agile as he is, quickly leaped into the air, avoiding being taking off his ground and landing perfectly before his father.

Before Angel even mentally congratulated the boy's movements and, Connor kicked out with his right leg, nailing Angel in the face. He quickly spun around, standing up back in defense mode. Angel too quickly got to his feet, hating to have to fight his son, but willing to take him down any means necessary.

Connor punched at him, but Angel was more determined now and easily pushed the arm aside. Then he landed his own punch to the boy's stomach. He made another attempt at punching Connor, hoping to knock him out and take him away, but Connor just stepped back using Angel's momentum to grab at him and tossed him away.

Connor rushed over to Cordy, thinking that maybe if he detonated her explosives, it would be enough to take him out as well.

Angel stood quickly, watching as his son made his way over to the woman he had grown close to over the years. He punched down at a display near him, grabbing one of the items inside. The hunting knife lingered in his hands for a second before he propelled if at his son's leg.

Connor staggered to his knees, a pain jolting from behind stopping him feet before reaching Cordy.

"Aahhh!" yelled the teen at the pain. He felt back and dared a brief touch at the knife's hilt. He then used his right hand and leg to try and crawl onwards.

Angel shook his head, reaching forward and yanking the knife from the boy's leg. Hardening himself to the harsher outcry of pain as he watched his son fall to the ground.

Angel dropped the knife on the floor. He reached forward, grabbing at the slender waist. Connor struggled in his hold as he turned him around to face him.

"Damnit Connor! What are you doing? Can't you understand that your life is worth more than that?! This isn't a game, son!"

Connor struggled against his father's firm hold on him.

"Get off of me!"

Angel shook his head.

"Don't you get it?" Angel asked the hurt evident in his voice. But it didn't matter. Connor didn't have to understand, he just had to survive. "I really do love you Connor."

"So what are you gonna do about it?" Connor asked him, voice low and tone serious.

Angel reached into his jacket, pulling out a vial and a needle. Connor's eyes widened for a second before calming. _Good_, thought the boy, _it should be Dad that kills me. He should be the one to end it all._

Angel shook the cover off of the needle head, and without another thought jabbed it into his son's thigh.

"Prove it," he whispered back.

Connor felt the effects instantly. First his senses died out and then he was falling into a white abyss of nothing.

&&&&&&&&&

Angel gathered up his most precious treasure in his arms. He finally let the tears fall and murmured loving words to the unconscious little boy in his arms. His Connor.

Straightening up, Angel got a tight hold on his son. He looked back at Cordy just as a swat team made its way into the building. They rushed over to Cordy, un-strapping her from her bomb. The rest that piled in gathered up the remaining bombs and started cleaning up the store.

One man surveyed the damage from the door momentarily. He located Angel quickly and made his way towards him, taking off his helmet as he went.

"Sir, we're going to need to move now," he said addressing the distressed father.

Angel looked over at the man besides him. He had seen him before, somewhere. It took him a moment before he realized who it was.

"Greene, sir," said the agent, noticing the look. "It's Travis Greene now. And we need to get you and your son out of here before clearing up this mess. Don't worry, we made certain everyone was gone and safely home by now."

Angel nodded. He now remembered where he had met the man. He looked back in time to see Cordy getting taken away.

"Sorry, Cordy," he whispered at the unresponsive form.

Angel brought Connor closer to him and followed Greene out the door and to his awaiting limo.

"Where to sir?"

Angel settled Connor besides him, resting the young one's head in his lap. He let his gaze linger as they pulled into the freeway. Passing his fingers through the boy's soft hair, he sighed unnecessarily, hoping that he had made the right choice for all of them.

"The Hyperion Hotel, Vega. Then _home._"

"Yes sir," replied Vega.

TO BE CONTINUED...

**Thanks for reading!!**


	2. Coming Home

**CHAPTER TITLE**: Coming Home, and (Learning to Stay There)  
**FANDOM**: Angel the Series  
**RATING**: R, for language, violence and stuff  
**SUMMARY:** Truly a child of the night, Connor just doesn't seem to know when to call it quits.  
**PROMPT: **Connor AU Series, #2 Curfew  
**WARNING: **Here, there be discipline, and naughty words  
**CHARACTERS:** Angel, Connor (15), Gunn, Fred, Lorne, Wes  
**DISCLAIMER: **Let's just say, if I owned Angel, I wouldn't need to be writting fanfics, now would I? They would be episodes. AND it would not have been canceled.  
**NOTES:** This is the second of my Connor AU prompt series! I've never done a prompt series, but I'm trying it out, hoping it works out for the best! This is weird. I really don't like how it turned out, but by the third draft, I just decided to run with it. Eeeh.

Thanks for all the reviews and alerts! Here ya go!

**Coming Home, and (Learning to Stay There)**

Angel laid Connor down on his bed. He slipped the boy's shoes and jeans off before settling him down within the sheets.

Slipping his fingers through the boy's soft hair, Angel sighed wondering if he had done the right thing.

"Angel?"

Angel leaned down and planted a kiss onto Connor's forehead.

"Rest kiddo, tomorrow's going to be a big day."

Turning around, Angel nodded to Fred at the door following her out into the hallway, turning off the lights and shutting the door behind him.

"Come on Fred, we can all talk in the living room."

Nodding, Fred came up beside him, slipping into a side hug before they headed down to the ground floor of the Hyperion Hotel.

In the living room, Wesley, Gunn, and Lorne all waited for Fred to return with Angel.

When they did appear, all three started talking at the same time.

"Angel, are you serious?"

"What happened up there?"

"When do we move in?"

The others all looked at Lorne. The green demon was overly excited to sign up with the 'evil' firm, Wolfram and Hart.

"What? Like you crazy kids weren't thinking the same thing."

Angel walked around the couch and sat down besides Wes, who had been flipping through a book while they waited.

"Like I said before, it was an executive decision that had to be taken."

"Angel, we operate as a team! You can't just – "

"So, you _don't_ want to do this, Wesley?" Angel asked the Englishman skeptically.

Wes opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn't respond. Because, yes, maybe he had been thinking that it wouldn't be so bad to go to Wolfram and Hart, but that he had been cheated out of making his own decision.

"You can still say no, Wes. Any of you can. But, the fact of the matter is, I'm doing this. I know what they there, but –

"I don't know what they offered ya, man, but if it's like what _I_ saw, then I'm in." Gunn adds.

"You can't do this alone, Angel," Fred said, sounding somewhat worried and somewhat indecisive.

"And if you could _see_ the kind of talent that they represent! You just wouldn't believe it!" Lorne added, still amazed that some of his heroes were being represented by a demon-run firm.

Wes looked around at his friends, he had been thinking, just before Angel had announced to them that he had accepted, how it might be working with all that knowledge at his disposal. But, could they really do some good out from such a place? Was that even possible? He voiced his concerns to them.

"We'll never know unless we give a go!" Lorne answered enthusiastically.

"Worth a shot," shrugged Gunn.

Fred looked at the guys over. She didn't want to go to the evil law firm. But, there was no way that she would feel right leaving Angel to do this alone. Gunn and Lorne seemed convinced and even Wes, though he was stating skeptism, seemed supportive.

"Might as well, I guess," Fred said softly, looking down at her hands as if afraid that something bad was going to happen just because she had consented.

"Alright then," Wes said with finality in his voice. He was slowly gaining trust back in the group after having lost Connor a few months back, when the boy was still a baby. There was no way that he would desert the now.

"Great! Now that that's settled, everyone go pack. We'll leave to our new headquarters in the morning," Angel stated, pushing himself from the couch and back to his feet.

"Where to?" Fred asked.

"Well, these new positions, come with courtesy suits, right in the building."

"So they can watch our every move," Wes stated a little heatedly.

"Because it's convenient," Angel defended, though he had felt the same way when Lilah had told him.

"And by suit you mean?"

"The works," Angel told Gunn watching as the black man's eyes glistened for a second. Recalling the new, huge screen HD TV in his new office, Angel couldn't help but agree. _Oh, the possibilities._

With that, he bid them all good night and headed back upstairs to check on Connor before he too headed to bed.

Connor was twisting around on his bed. His breathing was heavy and small whimpers were escaping his lips. Instinctively, he was kicking at an invisible foe, effectively kicking the sheets to the end of the bed.

He was having a nightmare.

"_What are you doing here, kid?" the man asked in a hard voice._

_Connor stepped back. Just a second before the man had been crying in agony and now he looked about ready to sock him._

_"What are _you_ doing here?" he asked back._

_The man stood, making sure to use his height to tower over Connor's smaller frame._

_"Get lost kid! Go let your Mommy tuck you in and kiss you beddy-bye," he snarled at him._

_Connor glared back. He wasn't too sure what the man had been talking about, but he didn't like how he was talking down to him. And he didn't appreciate him bringing up his mother._

_"Fuck you man!" Connor growled, shoving the man back down into his corner._

_"Hey! Watch it kid!"_

_Connor looked at the man, staggering to get back up. There was a funny scent coming from him, one that Connor knew from the streets that most of the homeless old guys living on the streets smelled like._

_He scoffed, turning away from the man. He had decided that the scumbag before him was a waste of his time. Though he was the first one that Connor had met on a roof, and with such fancy clothing, he knew that the guy was homeless like the rest of them. A guy like that couldn't possible function in civil society._

_"Don't you walk away from me, you little shit! I ain't done wit you!"_

Connor lashed out, falling from the bed onto the floor and awakening on impact.

"Connor! Are you okay?"

Twisting around, Connor saw his father sitting off to the side of where he'd just been sleeping. Angel was dressed differently then he had seen him before, and then that was when he realized that his dad was dressed for sleeping.

He looked around, taking in his surroundings for the first time. He didn't remember coming there. He couldn't remember seeing Angel at all that day. All he could recall was that horrible night.

He felt like he was missing out on something.

Angel stood up, started to walk towards him. He leapt to his feet, stepping back so as to remain from within Angel's reach.

"Where am I, what am I doing here?"

Angel stilled looking back at him.

"You're _home_, son. Where you belong."

Connor shook his head. He didn't want to be there. This wasn't home. He didn't have a home. Never had had a home.

"I didn't come here," Connor state, wondering frantically how e had gotten there.

Angel sighed.

"I brought you here, don't you remember?"

Angel watched his son for reactions. He wasn't sure how much the boy was going to remember. Maybe the whole thing had been a fluke. He hoped that he had done the right thing, that trusting Wolfram and Hart to alter his son's memory – everyone's memory – had been the right choice.

Connor opened his mouth, but then shut it. He looked down at himself, finally aware of how he was presented.

Angel tried to hide a smile as he watched his son dive for the bed and under the covers. He resisted saying that it was nothing he hadn't seen or that he had just months before been changing his diaper.

Connor's head poked out from beneath the covers.

"Where's my clothes?"

Angel pointed to a desk chair, where he had taken to laying out a jacket and the boy's jeans. He had tossed the long overcoat away the second that he had had it off of him, it being the only thing from that dreadful night that he could physically get rid of.

"But we're going to have to buy you something new. Those are already falling apart, and you've only been here a month."

Connor glared at him, but it had no effect. Especially with his hair all over the place and him hiding in the bed sheets.

"Get out, I want to change."

Angel shook his head.

"Go back to sleep, Connor. You were having a bad dream, that's the only reason I woke you."

Connor sat up on the bed.

"I'm not staying here! You, you kidnapped me!"

Angel gave his son a look. He wondered where he had heard the word, figuring that Holtz would not have taught it to him since the man had committed it himself.

"Where'd you hear that word, Connor?"

"None of your business!"

Angel was between worry and getting angry. He really hoped that nothing had happened to his son, that he hadn't seen anything too bad and damaging while he had lived out there on the streets alone.

"Is it so my business. Everything you do is my business," he said as calmly as he could, trying not to jump into conclusions.

Connor rolled his eyes.

"Real touching, Dad."

"I'm glad," Angel replied, not giving into his son's sarcasm. "Go back to sleep, we'll talk in the morning."

Connor scoffed.

"As if I'll even _be_ here," he whispered to himself.

Obviously, he forgot what incredibly great hearing his father had.

"If you're not here in the morning, I'll come find you. And when I do, you're not going to be very happy, to say the least."

Connor looked at him guilty for a second, knowing that he'd been heard. Then, the stubborn boy returned.

"Like you'll find me! I'll be so far gone by the time you can try and come find me, there won't even be a trail to follow!"

Angel groaned, debating with himself if he wanted to get into it now. It was only three in the morning, and while he was a creature of the night, he wanted the time to think things thoroughly through.

"Don't start, Connor. Not right now, it's too late, or early. Let's just talk in the morning."

Connor kept his mouth shut, but Angel wasn't too convinced yet. _Wish that damn vile had worked longer._

Angel backed away slowly and out the door. He unnecessarily took a deep breath, hoping that the kid would stay put, at least until morning.

Connor groaned when his dad left the room. He glared at the closed door, but it wasn't as satisfying as glaring at Angel.

He got to his feet, rushing over to his jeans and slipping them on. He grabbed his sneakers and put them back on. He went to grab his jacket but stopped staring at it.

"That's not my jacket," he said looking down at the dark jean jacket in his hand.

He looked around, wondering where his jacket _was_ when he realized that he wasn't even sure what his jacket looked like.

Connor glanced over at the door. Something wasn't adding up, but he really didn't want to take the time to find out what.

Slipping on the jacket, Connor eased the window open. Glancing down, he was pleased to find that the three story drop was nothing compared to some of the rooftops that he'd jumped down from and between. He grinned back at the door. _Night, Dad. I'll see you in the morning_.

Connor slipped out of the window, easing himself onto solid ground. He grinned back up to his window. He wished that he could see his dad's face when he realized that he wasn't 'home' anymore.

Turning towards the open night, Connor dashed away heading towards his actual home.

Angel sighed. He pushed off the side of the hotel where he had been leaning on. He watched as Connor scurried away. He caught the kid's smirk just as he passed his hiding place.

He stepped into the opening, looking over at the now faint image of his son's running form.

"You just _had_ to make this hard. Why can't you be like all the other teenagers and sleep in?"

Angel got into his car and took off in the direction that his son was in a second ago. He had a brief idea that he knew where the boy was headed, so he had no real reason to rush.

Which, the kid should be thankful for, because he was finding it really, really hard to not give into smacking some sense into the kid.

Connor slipped easily into his apartment. He hadn't expected it to be so easy to make it all the way back there.

For a second, a brief second mind you, he felt kind of sad that Angel hadn't noticed he was gone.

Connor looked around his apartment, smiling to himself. No one had seemed to mess with any of his things. He figured that he had proven himself enough on the streets that people knew to not go into his 'turf'. He had found it funny before, seeing as he would never hurt another human being. He had been very unpleasantly surprised to see how many of the human race was willing to harm one another. He'd been horrified to see what people were willing to d to themselves.

Maybe Angel was right. Maybe he shouldn't be out there alone. He certainly didn't feel safe around some people.

But, seeing as how the alternative meant staying _with_ Angel, he highly doubted that.

"Home, sweet home," Connor mumbled, a phrase he had heard on TV once when he had had the chance to see one. He wasn't sure what it meant exactly, but he guessed it meant he was happy to be home.

"That's good, Connor. Except, this isn't home."

Connor turned around so fast that he tripped over himself and fell onto his knees.

"What? What are you doing here?"

Angel scoffed from his perch in the dark corner.

"I thought I told you to go back to bed. Guess I should have made it clear which one, huh?"

Connor watched as Angel shoved off of the wall and walked over to where he kneeled.

"How'd you know I was here? No one saw me leave."

Angel smirked down at him.

"That's true, to a point." He reached down and grabbed one of Connor's arm, yanking him to his feet. "Except of course, I kind of expected you to run off like that."

Connor stared back at him. He wasn't sure how Angel could know something like that. He couldn't possibly know him well enough to predict what he would do.

He watched as Angel sighed, shaking his head.

"I'm not sure if I'm happy about this, Connor. You acting like a normal teenager, sneaking off for the night. But, you can bet I don't appreciate it."

Connor glared at his dad. He could care less what the man appreciated or not. He tried to yank his arm out of Angel's grip but it was no use.

"I don't care," stated Connor as he tried, again, to pull his arm free.

"Well, I do," replied Angel, giving the arm a firm shake.

Connor's entire body slightly shook. He glanced over at his arm and then back up at his dad.

"Get off me," he growled.

"Sorry, can't do that. I will, however, give you one last shot. Either you come down with me now, or I drag you out of here with me. I'd choose the first one, if I were you, because it's just so much simplier."

Connor glared up at Angel. He wasn't going to go _anywhere_. There was something going on and he wasn't leaving until he figured out what it was.

"Don't fight me on this, Connor."

"I'm not going with you! I don't_ want_ to be with you! You can't make!"

Connor had expected the words to hurt Angel, like they had before. His dad always looked hurt when he said that he didn't care for him, want him for a father.

But this time, nothing.

"Well, here's the thing, son. I'm not real interested in what you want. I've been giving you time and space to think, but I've gone about this all wrong. You're just a kid. My kid. And you're going to learn to do as you're told, or learn to face the consequences."

That being said, Angel tugged his son towards the sorry looking bed in the dingy room. Connor, not sure of what was going on, still struggled to get out of his father's hold. However strong he was, he learned that his dad was way strong and was not letting up.

Angel sat down first on the bed, pulling him to stand in front of him. Hands on his hips, Angel held tightly to him, talking directly at him.

"I'm sorry you feel like this, Connor. I really am. I wish I didn't have to do this, but you make things so much harder than they have to be. I think you need me to show you had serious I am about this. You're too young to be alone, and that's final. I'm keeping you with me, until you're of age. Then, it's your decisions, go or stay, but I hope by then you'll understand things better. For now, I'll make it as black and white as possible. I say for you to do something, you do it. That's it. If not, then you'll get more of what you're getting today."

Connor stilled at trying to pry his father's hands off of his waist. He stared instead at the man, listening to him, but not fully comprehending what was being said.

However, he was less than pleased when those hands finally moved but instead started to unsnap his jean's button and lower the zipper.

"Hey! Lay off! What're you doing! Stop!"

Angel was ignoring him, but Connor continued to yell. No one heard him, because the building was abandoned.

Suddenly, his jeans were shoved off his hips and down his legs. They slide down all the way to his ankles.

"I hate to do this, Connor. I know you won't think that. But, you're going to do as you're told. Even if I have to spank you each time to get you moving."

Connor's wrist was grabbed and used against him to tip him over his dad's lap. Connor braced himself against the bed and Angel's thigh. He didn't understand what his dad was doing, but his stomach was doing those weird flying feeling and he knew something bad as about to happen.

Angel shook his head. He hadn't planned to get into this position with his son. Well, not so soon, anyways.

Then again, the boy had inherited his stubborn traits. Not that he was admitting that he was stubborn.

Resigning himself to both of their fates, and knowing there was no going back after this, Angel raised his hand high and brought it down onto the brief clad bottom before him.

Connor tensed against him. He could also see the look of surprise on the kid's face.

_Well, it's now or never_.

Angel brought his hand down hard on the same spot. This seemed to snap Connor out of his stoic form.

"Hey! What are you doing!"

Angel refused to answer. He had tried the talking thing, the calm approachable way, but it had deemed useless for his son. So, he would revert to the time tested, old-fashioned firm discipline.

He spread the spanks all over the boy's bottom, making certain that no one spot got too much attention. He hoped that since this was the first time spanking the boy, the embarrassment and surprise would work to his favor.

Connor started to squirm around on his lap, causing him to tighten his hold and pull Connor closer against his stomach.

"Stop! That hurts! St-o-op!"

Angel heard the first of the sob. He decided that right then was a prefect a time as any would be to tell the boy just how things were going to be.

"You cut this out right now, Connor. I don't want to hear about you running off like this again! You're staying with me and that's _final_."

Punctuating his words with four more swats, directed at the boy's tender undercurve of his butt cheeks. Connor was willing madly, but Angel kept him on place.

"I love you too much to let you roam around, son. Especially in a pace as dangerous as LA. But, I'm sure that won't be a problem anymore. Right son?" Three more hard swats met the bottom now heated bottom.

"Okay! Okay! I'm sorry?"

Angel was satisfied was the apology, if weak, and placed five more swats on the squirming bottom before setting him back on his feet.

Connor looked down at his feet. He looked confused and angry, but the tear streaks were clearly visible against the flushed face. Angel sighed, wanting to know what the kid was thinking but really wanting to pull him into a hug and never let go.

Reaching down, Angel grasped the jean's easing them back into place. Connor whimpered when the denim touch his sore behind, but refused to look up or speak. Angel took Connor's chin in hand, tilting the sad face up to meet his look.

"You okay?" he asked. Connor refused to answer, staring back at him. Angel sighed, dropping his hand. "I know that wasn't pleasant, but you left me no option. I'm serious about you staying with me, Connor. I'm not letting go back to leaving like this. You're my responsibility, and I'm going to make sure that you survive in this world. Life's not all about fighting, son. I hope in time you'll see that.

"For now, we're needed back home. I'm sure everyone else has already headed out. Is there anything here you want to take with you? I'm not letting you come back after this."

Connor glared at him. Still refusing to talk, he gave his room a look over. It didn't have much. Nothing there was really his, just things he had found. He wasn't even too fond of anything. He had his weapons and that was all that mattered to him. Besides, the Hyperion's beds were better than the itchy blanket that he used to sleep. He shook his head.

Angel looked the room over, seeming to reach the same conclusion he had.

"Alright then, let's go."

Connor wanted to yell out that he wasn't going anywhere. He wanted to fight, to prove that he wasn't this little kid that his dad pictured him as. But the truth was, there wasn't anything holding him there.

Connor thought about the man who had raised him, Daniel Holtz. He missed the man, this month that he had been back. He felt lost without him. But, Holtz had never really been there for him. Connor had pretty much been taking care of himself since he was six years old and could kill on his own. He hated to think anything against the only constant he had had in all his life, but with Angel, Connor actually felt _safe_. And, dare he say it, _wanted._

So, when Angel took hold of his arm and started leading him back out, he only struggled a little.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Thanks for reading!


	3. Welcome Home

**CHAPTER TITLE:** Welcome Home  
**FANDOM:** Angel the Series  
**RATING:** R, for language, violence and stuff  
**SUMMARY:** More Connor and the Gang  
**PROMPT:** Connor AU Series, leading into #3 Alcohol  
**WARNING:** Here there be, nothing much really  
**CHARACTERS:** Angel, Connor (15), Gunn, Fred, Lorne, Wes, Eve  
**DISCLAIMER:** Let's just say, if I owned Angel, I wouldn't need to be writing fanfics, now would I? They would be episodes. AND it would not have been canceled.  
**NOTES:** This is LONG. Like, wow. I imprss myself sometimes...

Prompts are on my livejpournal. Check it out if you want!

Thanks so much for all the reviews, favoriting, and alerts! I'm glad you're all taking so well to this story!

**WELCOME HOME**

Inside the car, Connor was silent. He watched out the window as they drove down the streets of LA. Nothing seemed different, yet inside he himself felt different.

And in a good way.

Not that he was going to admit it. At least not today.

He glanced to his right, at Angel, who was driving. He seemed relaxed, calm, and happy. He actually seemed happy.

Connor was not happy. He was not happy at all. And he didn't like Angel being happy. Not because of this. That bastard!

He was so busy glaring at Angel, that he didn't notice where they're going. He was surprised when they pulled up to a huge building that he had never seen before.

"Where are we?"

Angel said nothing, just drove towards the building, and into its underground garage.

Connor's eyes grew wide. There were so many cars! Some looked really old, and some were really new. Really, really new. Like haven't been made, new. And they looked shiny.

Connor saw Angel smirk.

"Home," replied Angel.

"Home? This isn't home. Where the hell are we?"

"I told you, we're home."

Connor rolled his eyes.

They drove further down into the garage, until there was a gap between two really cool looking cars.

Angel parked the car. They stepped out of the car. Connor looked around. He wasn't familiar was anything around him. He started to panic slightly inside, because no way was he going to admit to being panicky. He wondered, could Angel be leaving him here? Would his dad leave him behind?

He thought Angel loved him. Didn't that mean that no matter what, you'd never let go?

Connor felt like he could cry.

"Come on, let's head inside. It's getting late, and I for one want to rest. Tomorrow's going to be a hell lot of crazy."

Connor wasn't certain what that last bit meant, but he noticed that when Angel said it, his face had this hurt look to it. Like he was regretting something. Could it be him?

Maybe he didn't want to leave Connor behind.

Connor wanted to ask who was waiting for them. He wanted to know who he would be staying with and for how long. But, he didn't know how to ask that. Not without sounding whiny and needy. And from what he had learned from his time on this dimension, no one appreciated whiny, needy people.

Angel's grip on his upper arm brought him back to the present.

Connor glanced over to him. He wanted to read Angel's reactions, determine maybe how hurt Angel would be at turning him over to someone else.

But Angel wasn't looking at him. Surely that couldn't be a good sign.

Connor watched straight ahead as he was lead to an elevator.

Angel groaned softly as the elevator's door closed behind them. Goodness, but what was he doing? He felt like he was walking Connor right into the lion's den.

No matter that he had just been made President of the entire building and its operations, this was still and foremost Wolfram and Hart. And it would be best for them all to remember that.

Seconds later and the elevator doors slide open. Angel noticed Connor jump slightly at the sudden stop of the machine. He hoped that nothing too traumatizing would happen there. Not so soon after bringing the kid back.

Last thing he wanted to do was to lose his son.

Angel watched as the numbers moved further and further closer to the top floor.

It was almost morning and the rest of his team would be there soon. Angel had wanted to spend his last night at the hotel, but it seemed a safer bet to just bring Connor there then to having to drag him there later on in the day.

At least in this way there'd be cameras.

And with the firm's high interest in his son, Angel didn't doubt that they all knew exactly who the kid was.

The elevator stopped and they stepped out onto the top floor of the firm. Connor looked around. He could smell all kinds of things inside the building, not all of which were human.

"What is this place?"

"I'll tell you in the morning. For now, stick close to me, and don't wander."

Connor rolled his eyes. He hadn't planned on wandering off. He hadn't taken to lightly to the beating he had received not that long ago. Sure he had handled pain before, plenty of times, but that had been brutal.

Not sure of what had caused his dad to do that in the first place, he was going to try and avoid angering the man until he could safely escape.

He followed Angel through a crowd of busy looking people. They reached a desk that was unoccupied. Besides the desk were two large doors.

Angel walked purposely towards them.

Connor looked around, thinking that they shouldn't be barging into someone's office like that.

Angel pulled both doors opened, walking in.

Seeing as how none of all the people around seemed bothered to stop him, Connor too followed through the doors and into the office.

"Close the doors."

Connor looked at where the voice had come from. His dad was leaning on the ledge of a window. Connor was glad that the sun hadn't been up, but he knew that they only had a few more hours of that.

Turning around, he closed the door.

"Dad?"

Angel turned away from the ceiling to floor windows and walked towards another elevator located in the office.

"Come on."

Connor frowned. He watched his dad press the one button besides the doors. Not up or down, just a button. And here he thought that was the point of elevators.

Following Angel as the doors opened, the two piled in once again into the elevator. They headed up another floor before it stopped.

"Where are we?"

Angel stepped out of the elevator into what appeared to be a living room. But in a law firm?

"Welcome home, Connor."

Connor looked at his dad as if the man was crazy. Which, by now, he was sure that he was.

"Home? Dad, we, uh _you_ don't live here. Did you forget the seven floored hotel that you happen to own?"

Angel gave him a look and Connor couldn't help but smirk. He had accomplished irritating the man.

Testy water, but enjoyable all the same.

"This is base now. Don't ask, okay." Angel sighed, leaning against one of living room's gray armchairs.

Connor looked at his dad intently. Suddenly, the man before him seemed _human_. It was weird, maybe it was the worried expression on his face or the unnecessary sigh that escaped him.

"Dad?" Connor asked, feeling suddenly vulnerable since his protector looked so weak.

Angel looked up back at him as he took a few steps further into the room. He smiled at the young boy before him.

"How about I show you around?"

Connor looked around the room. He then noticed that to one side, there was a hallway leading towards a kitchen and further beyond that there were a few openings presumably to rooms.

Angel came up besides him and slipped an arm across his shoulders. Connor wasn't too sure he was ready for close proximity to the vamp, but his backside advised him to keep his mouth shut.

Angel pointed out the kitchen, main bathroom, and two bedrooms before finally guiding him to the master bedroom. Unlike the other two, which had furniture and little less, the master bedroom was lavishly equipped. There was a king sized bed on one side of the room. Besides the bed was a door leading to a private bathroom. On the other side of the bed, a walk-in closet was clearly presented. It was still rather empty.

To the other side of the master bedroom was two couches, a metallic center table and a rather impressive flat screen TV mounted on the wall. There was also a great collection of classic novels, both in English and in Celtic, on metallic shelves besides one of the couches.

Angel walked over into the closet. He came back a second later with a pair of pajamas in his hands. He walked over to his son and handed them to him.

"What's this?" Connor asked looking down at the soft clothing in his hands. He was already dressed and didn't see a point in changing when the clothes that he was wearing were still clean.

"Those are call pajamas, Connor. They're to sleep in."

Connor looked back at him. He wondered what his dad was talking about.

"Clothes to sleep in? Instead of a bed?"

Angel gave him a small smile. It looked a little like he was sad, but Connor couldn't be sure.

"No, you still get a bed. PJs are just something you wear so that you can sleep comfortably."

"Comfortably?" Connor asked. He hadn't ever thought about that. To sleep for comfort. He usually just slept when ever he couldn't function anymore. Then, he would sleep until he had his energy back and not go back to sleep until he was exhausted again.

Sleeping for comfort sounded outrageous.

"Yes, Con. So that you can rest. You want to be comfortable, so that you sleep better. Trust me. A good night's sleep can do you wonders."

Angel grabbed his son around the shoulders and steered him towards the bathroom.

"Why don't you go and get cleaned up, change into those and then get into bed."

Connor looked over his shoulder at his dad.

"Where are you going?"

Angel smiled at him as he reached past him and switched the bathroom's light on.

"I have a call to make. I wont be long."

Connor stepped into the bathroom, thinking that a nice hot shower wouldn't be such a bad idea.

Angel watched for a second as the door to the bathroom closed. He sighed again, needlessly.

Turning away from the bathroom, Angel headed out the room and into the living room. He made his way towards the portable telephone dock that was on the sleek, modern style side table. He grabbed it and started dialing.

On the third ring, the other line was picked up.

"Hello?…Yes, this is Angel…We got in, and everything seems fine. But we can't be too sure…Exactly. Don't forget what we talked about…This line is probably rigged, so I'll contact you later …Keep checking things out."

Angel turned back to the master bedroom just as Connor was finishing up in the bathroom. Angel quickly changed into his sleepwear and started to take some sheets from inside the closet.

Connor came out of the bathroom and watched as Angel moved the couch cushions from the couch and set them aside. Then, Angel set about pulling something out from inside the couch. Connor watched in amazement as a bed was formed from the couch.

"All set Connor?" Angel asked as he placed the linens onto the new bed.

Angel turned to his son, watching as Connor dropped his clothes on the floor. He grimaced internally, but he'd tidy up later.

"What was that?"

"That's your bed."

Connor frowned.

"My bed? But, that's the _couch_. What happened to the couch?"

Angel smiled at him. In a sense he loved the innocence that the boy maintained. But then the reason for the innocence damn near broke his unbeating heart.

"It's a hideabed, the couch hides the bed," he explained.

Connor walked over to the now made bed. It looked like a bed, but it had been a couch. Angel watched as he stretched an arm out, as if testing the bed.

"Why don't you hope in and get some rest. We've got a lot of things to do tomorrow."

"Into that?"

Angel nodded, he turned down the covers and motioned his son in. Connor gave him a skeptical look.

"Yes. It's safe, trust me. And, if really comfortable. The most expansive one they had," he told him, hoping that motivated the kid. He knew that in the streets, Connor was learning the importance of money and that he more of it one had the more important the person was. He wasn't too happy with the street lessons the boy had acquired, but for now, he'd play with them.

"Why don't I just sleep in one of the other beds?"

Angel tried not to groan or sigh. He could tell that the kid as tired, but he hated that the boy had to question everything. Not that he didn't want him to ask questions and learn and grow, but with Connor it was always a power struggle. He hoped that they wouldn't have it out again for a while, but knowing his son he knew that the defiance would grow to more than just picky bed placement.

"Because, I'd prefer to have you where I can keep an eye out for you."

"Because you don't trust me," Connor stated, crossing his arms over his chest and fixing his father with a cold look.

"That's right," nodded Angel. "But you haven't given me much reason to trust you, son. I told you to stay in bed, you ran off the second I turned my back. I want to trust you, but you have to earn it. I know, in time, that you will. But for now, I keep close tabs on you."

Connor rolled his eyes. Angel knew that containing the boy would be hard, but he hoped that keeping him close at all times would give him more opportunity to gain his son back, be it by providing comfort or the well deserved spanking when called for.

Connor looked about to argue, and Angel really didn't feel up to another face off with the boy. He reached out, grabbing his son's arm firmly, and tugged him closer to the bed. Angel gently swatted the pajama clad bottom, effectively propelling the teen into the bed.

He crossed his arms over his chest as he watched his stubborn offspring finally take preservation into consideration and climb the rest of the way into bed. Angel fixed the cover up around Connor shoulder before leaning down and pressing a kiss onto the boy's forehead. Straightening back up, he saw Connor giving him a curious look, biting on his lower lip - probably holding back a few choice words.

Tough. He wasn't about to waste anymore time trying to get the kid to open up to him. He would make the first steps and keep taking them until it felt natural to the boy.

"Goodnight, Connor. I'll see you in the morning."

Angel turned towards his own bed, intent on getting as much rest as he could before he had to wake up and start on being the head boss to the evilest firm the city had to offer.

"Why do you do that?"

Angel stopped, turning back around to face his son.

"Huh?"

"Why do you do that?" repeated Connor, shifting around until he came untucked and moved to lean up onto his elbows.

"Say goodnight? Um, because I hope you have a good night," Angel responded unsurely.

"Not that."

"See you tomorrow? Tuck you in?"

Connor shock his head. He pointed to his forehead.

Angel smiled despite himself.

"Kiss you goodnight?" Connor gave him a look before nodding. Angel shrugged.

He wondered what kind of response "because I really felt like it" would receive.

"Is that something that like _dads_ do?"

Angel walked back over to his boy's side, smiling all the way.

"Something like that.," he commented softly, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

Connor looked at him intently, studying him.

"Father never did that," he said softly.

Angel tensed at the statement, hating his son, _his son_, calling that man, Daniel Holtz, Father.

"Holtz wasn't your -

"He was," Connor interrupted softly. He fell back on the bed, closing his eyes. "But you're my _dad_."

Angel woke to someone shaking him relentlessly. He groaned, turning away from the rude awakening.

"Come _on!_"

Angel turned right back around at the sound of his son's voice.

"Connor?"

"Dad! Get up already."

Angel immediately sat upright. He grabbed at his son's shoulders.

"What's wrong? You okay?"

Connor nodded.

"I'm fine. Listen," Connor said insistently. He twisted around to look at the closed bedroom door.

Now that he was certain that his son was alright, Angel surveyed his surroundings. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary, but he heard something.

"Someone here," he said, releasing his hold on his son and getting up out of bed.

"They're arguing," Connor said, sitting down on his dad's bed as he watched his father concentrate on listening in on the people trying to whisper down the hall in the living room.

Angel sighed in relief.

"That's just Gunn and Wes, son."

Connor shook his head.

"There's a woman."

Angel listened closer. Sure enough, he heard three rapid beating heartbeats. They were each familiar to him and lightened his own soul.

"That'd be Fred."

"Its not her," Connor said.

And sure enough, another woman's voice reached them. Angel grimaced.

"Eve," he gritted.

He could feel the confused look from his son behind him.

"Whose -"

"Stay here," Angel said angrily, as he pulled the door open. "I mean it," he added as he heard Connor stand from the bed, closing the door behind him.

Angel stormed over to the living room. Sure enough, his team was there, facing off with one of Wolfram and Hart's 'finest'.

"Eve, what're you doing here?"

Eve was sitting on the armrest of one of the armchairs, her back towards the hallway and Angel's approaching form. In front of her, Wesley, Gunn, and Fred stood side by side in front of the couch looking back at her evilly.

She stood up, turning around to face him.

"Angel, glad you could join us," Eve said cheerily. "I was just getting to know your team here."

Angel walked to stand over with his gang besides Gunn. He crossed his arms over his chest and stared at the uninvited guest.

Regardless of his undress state, Angel could present a fierce force to be reckoned with.

Eve returned his hard look with a smile.

"What are you doing here, Eve?" Angel asked a little harder.

Eve smiled. She reached towards a purse besides her, slipping her hand in for something.

Gunn groaned from besides him, but Angel staying firmly in spot helped him maintain his cool.

Connor slipped softly out of the bedroom. He walked down the hall, softly and slowly, measuring his steps and controlling his breathing all the way. He came to the end of the hall. Taking care not to appear before any of them. He heard his dad and this woman talking. He listened intently, trying to gather who this was and what she wanted with his dad.

The more Connor hear d the more confused he was. Especially since few words were spoken and only glares were exchanged.

Then, the woman moved towards something hidden from him. Connor tensed, and noted Gunn doing the same. But his dad remained firm in his spot, and so Connor didn't make a move.

The lady pulled out an enveloped, turned and handed it over to his dad.

Angel looked down at what was handed to him before looking back up to the woman before him.

"What's this?"

"You're newest case," Eve said. She smiled over at his dad, Connor catching the last of it as she turned back to the armchair and gathered up her things.

She turned without another word to the elevator and slipped out of the penthouse.

Connor watched as his dad glared at the elevator. He too looked back over to the metallic doors, hearing intently as they lowered and settled at the office beneath them.

Connor started to slip away, back into the bedroom.

"Connor, get in here," Angel's voice rang out just as he was turning away.

Connor stilled, closing his eyes at the threat.

"Connor," repeated Angel.

Turning slowly, Connor headed back out to the living room.

Now the gang was situated in the couches. Gunn and Fred were sitting besides each other on the couch, while Wes took one of the armchairs. Angel sat on the armrest of the chair that the woman had just been occupying. He looked intently back to his approaching son.

Connor walked directly in front of him. His dad had his hands resting on his knees and the envelope was resting on the coffee table between them all.

Angel lifted his chin, forcing him to look back at him.

"I thought I told you to stay in your room."

Connor nodded, trying at best he could to not look guilty or anything. He wasn't sure what the whole smacking on his bottom was about, but he didn't like it. He also knew that if that happened in front of anyone, he'd be beyond embarrassed.

"She didn't have a heartbeat," Connor said softly, hoping that his father would understand.

As far as he knew, no heartbeat meant a vampire. And other than his own dad, he didn't know of any other vampire that was nice.

"I know you were worried, but that was more of a reason to stay put," Angel gritted, shaking his head slightly.

Connor nodded slowly.

Angel turned to his team. They all looked really tired, they had left their things downstairs in the office, where Lorne had decided to camp out on the very comfortable looking couches that were placed there.

"There's two other bedrooms," Angel told them, standing back up beside him.

"Thanks Angel," sighed Fred, now that Eve was gone, she felt calmer near her boys.

"I'll just grab you guys some sheets, and one of you can make up the couch."

His dad slipped an arm around his shoulders and guided him back to the bedroom. Connor waved at the rest of the gang goodnight as he turned into the hallway.

Connor made it without incident back under the sheets and listened to Angel gather the rest of the sheets for his friends. Their friends.

Connor sighed. Not certain of what much of anything was, Connor allowed himself to fall back into sleep.

The next morning, Connor awoke not certain of where he was. He looked around startled, expecting to find himself at his old apartment or in his room at his dad's hotel. But he was in neither.

His eyes rested on the neatly made up king bed a few feet from his. He took a deep breath, allowing the memories of the previous night to take hold.

And what a night it had been.

Connor stood up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He started for the bathroom before heading out the room.

As quietly as he could, Connor made his way out of the room and down the hallway. Both of the other bedroom doors were now closed. He listened closely to the beating hearts inside the rooms. Fred was in one and Gunn was in the other. He found Wesley sound asleep on the couch. The team must have really been exhausted.

Connor looked in on the kitchen and the extra bathroom, but he didn't find Angel anywhere.

Glancing at the elevator, Connor debated the idea of heading down into the nice office that they had entered when they first got into the odd building. He hadn't been told that he had to remain in the odd quarters, like he had been warned the previous night to stay in the bedroom.

So, surely he could go down. Especially since he was looking for his dad.

Deciding on that route of action, Connor slipped into the metallic moving box, glancing at the odd buttons before him. One said Office, so that was the one he pressed.

The doors closed and soon the elevator moved down, stopping in Wolfram and Hart's President's office.

The elevator doors slipped open and Connor quickly sniffed his dad in the room. Stepping in, he looked over towards the conference room division of the office. Sure enough, there was his dad and Lorne going through piles of files before them.

Angel looked up at him, giving him a soft smile.

"Morning, Connor."

"Morning," he mumbled back, slipping into the room.

Connor gave a cautionary glance over to the green demon that his father had befriended. He wasn't ever too certain of the demon's intentions, so he always kept an eye on him. So, Connor walked around the table, making certain that Lorne was in his sight every step of the way.

"Good morning, Sunshine," greeted Lorne with his huge, infectious smile.

"Morning," he replied back softly.

Taking a seat besides his dad, Connor listened in a few minutes to what the men were looking over.

From what he could gather, his father was now the owner of a huge law firm and no one was really too happy about that.

Connor refrained from asking too many questions. He could gather that the two men before him weren't too certain of the answers themselves.

One by one, the team slipped downstairs and once they were all gathered around the conference table, Angel decided to call in for breakfast and sent Connor up to change for the day.

Connor had protested leaving, but a warning smack to the back of the head and a dangerously positioned hand on his hip guiding him back to the elevator stopped all rebut.

"Whatcha got?"

Angel was spreading out the rest of the files for his team to see. He hadn't wanted his son to hear any of this, and the rest of the gang seemed to understand that there was something important that he had been holding out on them.

"I'm not sure yet," confessed Angel. Looked over the files, trying to see something new in them that he hadn't seen before.

But he had the best team assembled and he knew that the ones besides him would be enough to gather up whatever was encrypted in the information before them.

They spent the next few minutes talking about the files and jotting down some facts that they each thought of. When Connor reappeared, they cleared off the conference table, preparing for the breakfast meal that soon appeared.

Connor was not too gently sent back upstairs as the 'grownups' worked through 'boring law files that wouldn't matter to him anyhow'.

Angel was skeptic, not sure of how to go about running the firm or caring for his son. ON the one hand, Connor was the most important thing in his world. No matter what, he would take care of his son first. Which made the other hand look even heavier. If he disregarded the firm, his son would suffer.

He knew that there had to of been another way around it, but at the moment, seeing his son taking hostages and threatening them with deadly weapons, he couldn't have thought of one.

"Angel, are you sure about all this?"

Angel looked over at Wes, startled out of his thoughts. The rest of the team looked back over to him.

"I've got a pretty reliable source," confirmed Angel.

He could feel the collective tension in the room, his own added.

"Well," Gunn started saying, as he stretched to his feet. "Looks like we've got a hell of a day ahead. No pun."

Connor was bored. He hated being bored. He hadn't been this bored since…he couldn't even remember when!

What he really wanted to do was go out.

Not certain of what was going on around him, Connor felt uncomfortable. He had the feeling that everyone knew something that he didn't. some thing that they weren't willing to tell him.

He had noticed the files that they had all moved briskly to put away when he had last gone down to the office. And he had every intent on finding out what was written on them.

Tonight.

"So, Sparky just gonna stay up in his room all day?" Gunn asked as they all prepared to leave Angel's office and head off to (fight for office space) meet their departments.

Angel gave him a puzzled look.

"What do you mean?"

"Angel, you can't expect the kid to just stay up in his room all day! He's gonna grow restless. Especially someone like Connor. You know how he loves to go out and fight!"

Angel didn't want to admit it, but he hadn't really thought of that. He realized that his son wasn't the little baby that he had been a mere months ago. But, that realization hadn't exactly clicked with the knowledge that he was also his own, active person.

"Gunn's right, Angel," Wes said as he finished arranging the files that they'd had out into cabinets besides Angel's desk. "Connor needs stimulation."

"What are you talking about, Wes?"

"He needs to go and _do_ something. He cant spend all day in the penthouse! How do you expect him to learn to assimilate from the confines of his room?"

"I thought about letting him visit the different departments once in a while."

Wes resisted the urge to sigh.

"What they're training to say Angelcakes, is that Connor needs to have a life of his own. People his age, deal with the chaos that is a teenager," Lorne said, coming up beside him, patting him reassuringly on his back.

"Ooo, school!" Fred added excitedly.

"School?" Angel and Gunn both said a little unsure. Angel because he couldn't take the idea of his child being away from him for so many hours a day and Gunn because, well he'd never really liked school.

"Yeah! He can make friends! And he can start learning things that he needs to know in order to survive outside of h-e-l-l."

"I don't know, Fred-"

"Trust me! He's gonna _love_ school!"

Gunn groaned.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that."

"Regardless, I think it's a brilliant idea. Allow Connor to engage with others his age, and maybe he'll take to learning some much needed people skills. I mean, Angel, he's spent all his life with _Holtz_ as his only companion."

Angel nearly growl.

"Don't mention him, Wes," he said through gritted teeth.

"You should seriously give it some thought. If anything, just so that Little Angelcakes won't spent all his times in Wolfram and _Hurt_," Lorne added as he stepped out the office doors and headed to his department, which he was really looking forward to working in.

The others followed, going to their own departments (or for Gunn and Wesley's case, debating over office space) and leaving Angel to his thoughts.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	4. I Want To Be A REAL Boy

**CHAPTER TITLE**: I Want To Be A REAL Boy  
**RATING**: R, for language, violence and stuff  
**SUMMARY**: Here's Connor!  
**PROMPT**: Connor AU Series, leading into #3 Alcohol  
**WARNING**: Here there be, nothing much really  
**CHARACTERS**: Angel, Connor (15), Gunn, Fred, Lorne, Wes, Eve, and some OMC  
**DISCLAIMER**: Let's just say, if I owned Angel, I wouldn't need to be writing fanfics, now would I? They would be episodes. AND it would not have been canceled.  
**NOTES**: Again, LONG. I impress myself a lot lately...

Prompts are on my livejournal. Check it out if you want!

Thanks so much for all the reviews, favoriting, and alerts! I'm glad you're all taking so well to this story!((Does little Dance))

Angel spent the rest of his morning trying to gauge what he was supposed to be doing. After another brief and unpleasant encounter with Eve, he headed up to his penthouse to look in on his son.

Connor sat in the living room, staring at the TV screen. There were three remotes on the coffee table in front of him. Untouched. Angel mentally sighed realizing that the kid probably had no idea what the remotes or quite possibly even the TV were for.

Granted, Angel wasn't too sure of what the last one was for either.

"Hey son," greeted Angel as he stepped off the elevator and took a seat besides Connor.

"Hey," Connor sighed back.

Well, talk about conversation starters.

"You okay?"

Connor shrugged.

"_Okay,_ well have you ate yet?"

Connor nodded. Well, at least he'd done _something_.

"So…"

"Do I have to stay up here forever?" Connor asked him, twisting around to look at him directly.

"What?" Angel asked in reply, startled by the question.

"Is that my punishment too?" he asked, with a look of panic quickly passing his features.

"No!" Angel finally thought to reply. "No, Connor, it's _nothing_ like that!"

"You don't want me down there," Connor said, not asking and daring his father to deny it.

Angel sighed.

Connor looked on at him, waiting for a response. Angel was a little frightened that he'd start _reacting_, but he didn't do anything.

"That's not it Connor."

"You don't like it here. And you don't want me here. So what the hell are we _doing_ here?!"

If only he could explain that to himself.

"I just, I need to be here right now, Connor. And, yes I don't want you, or any of us to be here. But we are, and we will be for some time."

"Why?"

Angel leaned back against the couch, trying to gather some support from the cold furniture. But nothing, like most things in his life, he was alone.

He wasn't ready. Not for this conversation. Not yet.

"You don't have to spend all day up here, Con," Angel said, changing the topic and forcing himself to smile at his son. Reaching out, he patted the boy's shoulder.

Connor's head tilted to the side, slightly resembling a curious pup. So, Angel ruffled his hair. Connor shrunk away from the touch, but otherwise stayed in place.

"I don't?"

"No, you don't."

"So…what can I do?"

Angel thought about what his friends had said. Lorne was right, as Lorne often was. The boy couldn't just stay in one place. And of all places, Wolfram and Hart. Maybe Fred was right, maybe Connor needed to go to school.

Angel cringed, fearing that perhaps like Gunn, Connor would have the same reaction to school. He sure as hell never liked it when he'd been a young lad.

"How does school sound?"

Connor continued to stare back at him, seemingly oblivious.

"Connor?"

"I don't know. How does it sound?" he asked confused.

Angel refrained from groaning. It wasn't the boy's fault. There was only one person to blame, but he wasn't anywhere to be found.

"School is where kids go to learn things…"

"Things?"

"Well, yeah. Things like math, history, reading and writing…"

"I know how to read and write!"

Angel was startled by the declaration, and very surprised. When had he found time to learn to read and write while at hell?

"Really?"

"_Yes_!" Connor replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

Angel smiled back at him.

"That's great Connor!"

Connor looked at him, probably trying to see if he was being serious or making fun of him.

"In school," Angel continued, not certain if he should be trying to persuade the kid or just let the boy decide.

"You get to learn all kinds of things. You get to meet kids your own age and maybe even find something that interests you."

"I like to hunt."

Angel didn't doubt that, but he really didn't think that that would be a good extracurricular activity.

"Well, yes, I know that. But, that's not exactly what I was talking about."

"What else is there to do?"

"Um," Angel thought for a second. His own life revolved around the one thing that Connor had already stated. Besides his son and his friends, all he did was hunt.

"Sports, and stuff," Angel replied after a pause. He'd have to talk to his team again. Surely, they'd understand more of that.

"Sports?"

Right. Because if Connor didn't know about school, TV, or any other finer point of modern life, what made him think that the boy would know about sports.

_Like Hockey,_ he fondly remembered. Angel loved Hockey.

"Hockey, for one," he said quickly. "Football for another. And um, well there's a few others."

"Hockey? Football? What's the point?"

Angel opened his mouth to reply, but then thought better of it. Reaching forward for one of the remotes, he aimed it towards the big screen and turned it on.

"Why don't I just _show_ you, kay?"

The screen turned on, animating some boring show or other. Reality TV, if Angel saw correctly.

Connor tensed besides him, eying the now alive screen.

"Right, so I should probably explain television before I turned it on, huh?"

* * *

Angel stayed with him for a few hours, ordering him some food up while they watched some hockey. Connor was starting to see why his father liked the sport so much. 

There were two teams, and one tiny little black gliding circle Angel told him was called a puck. Both teams fought each other to claim the puck. But, as soon as they had it in their possession, they were just as fast to try and toss it towards the netting end, which he learned was called the goal. It was guarded by a goalie, appropriately named. Though, Connor noted, neither man did his job real well, since every now and then the puck made it through.

He had commented this to his dad, adding how he wouldn't have let the puck in if that had been his job. Angel had given him a fond look, and Connor briefly wondered what he'd said before dismissing it.

Football had been much the same. Except, this time, the teams did not skate on ice but instead ran on grass. Connor could not see the difficulty in that. Skating, he was sure would cause him many problems, but he knew how to run.

In football, the two teams instead went after a brown, oddly shaped ball, which he learned was called a football. Connor had asked then why the puck hadn't been called a hockey ball and Angel had laughed. The entire time they were watching TV, Angel seemed relaxed besides him. He found it strangely comforting.

Television was a complete surprise to him, but he quickly found that he enjoyed it. The sports were amazing.

After they had eaten, him his Chinese take out (which Connor had been happy to see didn't mean someone was going to bring him a Chinese person to eat. He had been worried briefly when he'd heard his father ordering.) and Angel his blood, Angel had had to return to his office and to his work.

Connor hated to admit it, but he had been disappointed. He had hoped that his dad wouldn't have had to leave again, he had hated being alone. He had too much time to himself and left to think. There were so many memories, unpleasant memories, that thinking brought back to him. He preferred company, so then he would get distracted. He wasn't too big in the interaction department, but he liked watching people. Life had been so lonely before.

Angel promised him that he'd come back whenever he had some time, he also said that he'd see to it that the team would also come by and spend some time with him. Lastly, just as he was kissing his hair goodbye as he stood behind him going towards the elevator, he explained the remote that he had transferred into his smaller hands.

And it was so that Connor learned of TV.

* * *

It had been a long, long day at Wolfram and Hart. Angel had had to track down some demented human who had thought that using his own kid as bait had been tactical. Angel really sometimes hated the human race. 

Earlier he had talked with his friends and had seen to it that they would go up to see Connor when they could. As it turned out, Gunn wasn't too busy and had decided that he could definitely spend the day lounging in the stocked penthouse watching TV. After all, he had felt like he had been the less to of tried to connect with the boy and so would take the time to do it.

Now, Angel and his team were riding up the elevator, happy to have put the case behind them. When they reached the penthouse, Gunn informed him that Connor had already nodded off and seeing as how it was past midnight, Angel was grateful.

The team settled on the couches, Fred besides Gunn on the couch while Lorne and Wes each took an armchair. They sat, flipping through the channels, as Angel went to check on his son.

True to his nature, the second that Angel entered the room, Connor squirmed. Angel smiled, knowing that the boy had sensed another's presence even in his sleep. He outwardly grinned when he realized that it only took a soothing pass of his hand through the fine hair to calm the boy back into sleep.

Angel returned to the living room, settling on kitchen chairs that rested on the far wall besides the opening towards the elevator.

"Told you he was sleeping," Gunn mumbled, eyes never leaving the screen, as Angel settled the chair besides him.

He resisted the urgh to glare at the black man.

They watched a little more of the program before Fred couldn't keep her curiosity any longer.

"So, Angel? Have you thought about Connor going to school much?"

"Actually, I did mention it to him. Not that he knew what a school _was_, but I did get into talking about sports."

"Right, Explains why he was watching _hockey_ when I got here," said Gunn, making sure that he tossed his friend a noticeable glare for that one. He hoped that the kid hadn't been too corrupted and that he'd still be able to teach the kid the finer points of BasketBall.

Angel rolled his eyes, but he smirked back at his friend. Everything about talking about Connor made him feel happy inside. Not that he'd be worrying about total happiness anytime soon, with Connor's attitude and then the idea of school and running a law firm all jumbling in his mind.

Nothing was ever easy.

"Well, other than the TV thing, I don't think he really took to the idea of school or sports much. He thinks he only needs to hunt, and can't see why humans fight each other over something like a football."

They continued to talk, going over their days in the crazed world that Wolfram and Hart provided. By the time that everyone wanted to head off to their apartments, located a few floors down, Angel had more thoughts about working for their once enemies. But more so, he was convinced that he had to get Connor out of their grasps, even if it were just a few hours a day.

Besides, this would give the kid something to do, and hopefully prove him with something to stay out of trouble.

Here's to wishful thinking…

* * *

"I still don't see the point in this," mumbled Connor. For the millionth time. 

He was seated at the table, eating his breakfast grumpily. He was eyeing the outfit set out for him on the opposite end of the long wooden table.

"Connor, please, not this morning okay? You can't be late on your first day."

Connor groaned, glaring at the uniform as if he could burn it with his thoughts alone.

He could very well and definitely be late on his first day.

"I changed my mind.," Connor stated, trying to sound firm.

No go.

Angel placed a full glass of Orange Juice in front of him.

"I didn't ."

And there it was.

It had been a month since they'd been in the W&H law firm, and after the chaos of the first week, everyone getting adjusted to their departments and the case load, his dad still seemed to find to get him tested and enrolled at the St. Michael's Preparatory High School.

Connor couldn't be happier. Really.

"I really don't see the point," Connor repeated, looking up to plead his case to his dad.

"Con, you're going. Its final."

It was final. He had all his things packed, the school had been checked top to bottom by Gunn and Angel overnight before a W&H team was sent in afterwards. Angel had had the hardest of times barely stepping into the place, it being a Catholic school, so that deemed it safe. At least against vampires.

Fred had gone with him during the weekend to walk through the place, talk with the headmaster, Pastor Richard Murphy, and some of his teachers. They'd gotten the faked papers together that stated that he'd been home schooled until then.

Connor had tested relatively well in languages skills and application, but he really seemed to hate numbers. All the same, he was actually able to remain with his grade level. It gave him some mixed joy that Holtz had at least been able to do that right by him.

Even Wes had found time in his schedule to look into the school's history and personnel for his dad. Everything seemed to pan out.

It was final.

Connor dumped his bowl into the sink, downing the juice. Once finished with that, he turned around, planning on going back to his room.

"Shower and get dressed," Angel ordered sternly, obviously foreseeing his son's plans.

"I _will_," an irritated Connor replied. He wasn't going to.

"Now, Connor," Angel said, finishing off his own morning blend of blood. He gave him a hard look, daring him to test him.

Connor groaned.

"Fine," he muttered. "I'll take the stupid shower. Not like I've gone anywhere lately that I _need_ a shower."

And he hadn't. Angel had still confined the kid to the penthouse, allowing him only to leave with someone that he trusted. Meaning Gunn, who was the only one of the team not bombarded with things. And Gunn really didn't do all that much anymore, seeing as how they weren't doing their own research or legwork.

Connor stomped back to the master bedroom, slamming the door behind him. It was a testy move, but he really was pissed. He really hadn't liked the idea of school since his dad had mentioned it a month ago. And Gunn stating all the things that would make his days miserable hadn't helped matters either.

Walking over to his couch/bed, which Angel had already obsessively picked up and packed away, he grabbed one of his handheld gaming devices, a PSP, and sat down on the leather couch to play it.

He hadn't planned to play it for too long, just pass this last level he was on. He had had to pause it to go and grab some breakfast. Angel hadn't been too happy with him sitting up in bed, mindlessly wasting his time with it, but he hadn't seen the need to rush to get ready.

And again, time slipped by him as five minutes turned to ten turned to twenty and then Angel was stepping into the room, going to get himself ready.

"CONNOR!" he bellowed.

Twisting around, Connor almost dropped the device.

Angel stood with his hands on his hips and giving him a hard look that didn't fare well for him.

"Hey dad," the boy grinned back.

Angel shook his head. He walked over to him, snatching the game device from his hands.

"Hey," Connor softly whined, knowing it wouldn't be wise to do so openly at the moment.

"You, young man, were supposed to be taking a shower and getting ready for today."

Connor sighed.

"I don't see why-

"I didn't _ask_ you, Connor. We already went through this. You're starting school today. End of discussion. Now," Angel glanced down at his watch. "you have five minutes to shower, and not a second more. If you're not finished in five minutes, I'm dragging you out of there and dressing you myself."

Well, Damn.

Connor stood up quickly, heading for the bathroom and unsuccessfully trying to dodge the hard swat that connected with the seat of his pajama bottoms.

It didn't take too long to wash up, seeing as Angel's obsessive tendencies, of which the man still denied, had the boy showering at least twice a day.

The uniform was set out on Angel's bed for him when he stepped out four minutes and thirty-five seconds later. Connor groaned as he glared the clothing down, trying one last time to see if he could burn them with his thoughts.

No go.

Connor sighed deeply, grabbing roughly at the black boxer brief jockeys and proceeded to slip them on. Once he'd managed to get the black trousers, crisp white under shirt and white long sleeved dress shirt on, he knew he was stepping into a different dimension of hell all together.

Angel came in a minute later, grabbing his own clothes and slipping into the bathroom. When he stepped out, Connor was glaring at his tie. It was black with red lines, two of the school colors.

"Tuck the shirt in," Angel said as he gave the boy a glance before heading back towards the door. "And get your shoes on, you've got ten minutes to get downstairs."

Connor looked down at himself.

"Tuck the shirt into what?" he asked the empty room. Shrugging, he sat down on the bed, pulling his black socks on before putting on the shiny black shoes. He took a moment to tie them, just how Fred had taught him, and then headed out the room.

"Ready?"

"Yeah," Connor sighed. He had the tie rolled up in his hand and his black blazer, with the black, red, and silver emblem on it was waiting from him down in the office.

Angel got a look at him and sighed.

"Connor! I told you to tuck your shirt in!"

"Into what!"

Angel groaned. He regretted not going over the uniform more clearly with the boy, and was having to pay for it now.

"Oh, just get over here!"

Connor walked over to him, more than a little unsettled when Angel unbuttoned his new black leather belt and trousers.

"What are you doing!?" he shrieked, trying to push his hands away.

"Just, hold still, Con," Angel replied. He didn't have the time to waste explaining. He quickly tucked the shirt in, redid the boy's pants and belt and then took the tie from his hands.

"Try not to let this get undone, okay? You have to wear this all day, and you don't know yet how to do it up. Remind me to teach you," he said, finishing up the tie.

Then, Connor was quickly led down to the office and into the blazer.

"I _really_ don't see the point in this," Connor said for the last time.

Angel sighed, giving him a soft smile.

"Sorry, son. But, not only is this a good idea, turns out there actually is a law about minors having to attend school. Now, we talked about this. You're to behave. I had you read over the student handbook so that you'd know what's not acceptable behavior. We're clear on that?"

"Yes," Connor mumbled, glaring down at his _stupid_ outfit.

Travis Greene, head of the security department at Wolfram and Hart stepped into the office.

"Car's all set, boss. Kid ready?"

Connor glared at the man, hating to be called a _kid_.

"He's all set," Angel replied, smiling over at the boy. Connor knew that his dad wished he could come with him, but it was day time, bright and early 7AM and that was just no place outside for a vampire.

"Bye Connor," Angel said, hugging the boy quickly.

"Bye Dad," Connor mumbled, shuffling his feet as he followed Greene out the door and down to his awaiting ride.

* * *

0730 

James Vega pulled up to the St. Michael's Chapel. Greene stepped out of the black van that they were in, opening the backdoor for Connor to slip out.

"You really _don't _need to do that," Connor groaned as he firmly set foot on the ground.

Travis gave him a small smile.

"Oh, I know."

Connor glared at him.

"Come on now then, we've got to make certain everything's in order."

Connor reluctantly followed Greene into the school, bypassing the chapel. Inside they found Father Murphy, the head master/ principal and Father Roland, who led most weekly prayers and religion class.

"Why don't we head to Chapel?" Father Roland said after a brief five minute meeting.

The two fathers, and a very upset looking Connor headed over to Chapel, Greene walking by the boy until they parted ways.

"Vega will pick you up, 1540 sharp," Greene reminded him.

Connor nodded, heading into the chapel and situating himself in the last pew.

It was going to be a long, long day.

0800

Finally, the morning prayer session was over and Connor followed the crowd back into the building. He'd spent a weekend walking through the play and had memorized the map provided in the handbook, so he wasn't lost in finding his first class.

_Ethics, Room 601_

Connor walked into the classroom, noting how it was already half full. The boys inside looked, well looked like every other boy in the school. Damn uniforms.

"Who are you?" one boy asked him.

Connor glared at him.

"What wants to know?"

The boy with the shoulder length black hair smiled. He leaped off of the desk he was sitting on and headed over to him.

"Cole, Brendon Cole," Brendon said, all James Bond like, which Connor dint catch because he'd never heard of James Bond.

"Hi," Connor mumbled.

The kid rolled his eyes.

"What's your name, man?"

"Connor," Connor replied.

Brendon slipped his arm over Connor's shoulders, ignoring the odd look that Connor gave him, and led him towards the other two boys there.

"Mick, Jagger, meet Connor," Brendon said, smiling at each boy.

'Mick' rolled his eyes.

"B, you're an ass," the brunette said, glaring at his friend. "Names Vin, _not_ Mick."

"Okay," Connor said, not getting much of what the problem was.

"Fuck, Jagger," the third boy, a blond and younger than the other two said. "B's a fucking lunatic, and we're gonna be late," he said to Vin.

Vin rolled his eyes.

"Like it even matters, Dave! Its _Monday_, Palmer just gonna be glad I'm even _here_!"

"Yeah," David scoffed. "Glad the word for it."

"Later B, nice to meet ya Con," Vin said, dragging Dave away before the kid started to babble about one thing or another.

Connor watched them leave, seeing the class file in with the rest of the boys and girls. All in their uniforms. B sighed from besides him.

"One good thing of the unis man, Girls in skirts," B whispered to him. "Come on, sit down before 'Oh Great One' gets here."

Connor sat down besides Brendon in the second to last row of the room. He found that, though the guy was pretty weird, he was easy to talk to. B had no problem telling "Shwartz" to find another seat and spent the next five minutes listening to who everyone was.

"Don't worry new guy," B said as the 0805 bell rang and the teacher was finally there. "Just don't look her directly in the eyes."

* * *

Angel's day was spent between wondering how his son was doing and worrying about the cases that were piling his desk. 

Wes had gotten him a secretary, an old vampire that he'd had the displeasure of knowing before named Harmony. Now, what her qualifications were, Angel wasn't sure, but the only thing she'd done right yet was produce a damn good cup of blood.

Having finally ended his fourth meeting of the day, wondering how long that last demon actually would managing in keeping his word and stop stalking newborns, he couldn't help but think back to a few months back to when he had had a growing list of things that would be coming after his boy.

"And to think, I missed one," he groaned to himself, tossing the file onto his desk as he walked over to it.

"Missed what?"

Angel groaned, he knew he'd smelt ….

"What do you want Eve?" he asked, not bothering to turn around and face her. He'd already seen enough demons for one day.

"An update, it's been a month."

Angel groaned. The day did mark a month since he had made that deal with Lilah and had started working there. And he had wanted to be kept informed.

"How is she?"

"Still in a coma, but there's no surprise there. She peaks every now and again, but mainly mumbles." There's a hint of joy in her voice, but he's not in any mood to call her on it.

"She going to wake up soon?"

"Seems like," Eve added, a little on the disappointed side. Somehow, that makes him feel better.

"And she'll…

"No, she wont remember a think. Just like you asked. She might even forget why she's still in LA, might even head back to where she belongs."

_She belongs with ME_.

"Is that all?"

"Well, aren't you the conversationalist? Yes, that's all for tonight. But, you now -

"Good day, Eve," Angel cut into whatever proposal she was going to make.

He waited a second, hearing her gather her things from her perch on the couch and head out the door, before he finally relaxed.

_Oh, Cordy…._

* * *

Connor had been slightly pleased to find that in most of his classes at least one of the three boy he'd met where present. Not that he minded being alone, it just made it that much easier to, well to not fall asleep. 

He had fourth block gym with all three of them and they seemed to take a liking to him. Connor found that they were pretty easy to get along with, unlike some of the obnoxious, loud people that he'd also met that day.

He was displeased to find that his 3rd and 6th block were void of any of the boys. Third block, Art, barely had any boys in it at all.

But that Allison whatshername was very nice.

He spent religion, 6th block, dreaded the day he'd kicked his way out of Hell, and 'learning' about what 'Hell' was really like and all the ways to avoid it. However, at just days old, he hadn't committed any of these sins and had still gone there, so he wasn't going to take Father Roland too seriously.

By the 335 announcements, Connor was already planning on how to not come back. Ever.

"Dude, what a fucking long _day_," Dave said from besides him.

Connor noted that about the boy, he seemed to say that word a lot. He wondered sometimes, during the days break and lunch - when his mind had been given a rest - what all those words meant.

He'd have to ask one of the gang, surely they'd know.

"Yeah," Connor sighed, dragging his feet out of the building.

"I, without a doubt, HATE Mondays!" a now familiar voice cried out from behind them.

"Surprise, surprise," Vin said to B's antics.

Vincent and Brendon were coming from the opposite side of the building, where the upperclassmen went for the announcements. Connor had learned that only David was actually in his grade, and that the other two where a year ahead. In most things. Connor had been placed a grade higher in English and the other two were held off in some of their material.

"Don't get him started," Dave groaned, "or I'll have to hear about it all the way to my house."

"Hey!" B shrieked 'hurt'.

"Connor, you need a ride?" Vin asked looking over at their newest friend.

"Nah, Vega should be here by now," Connor said, sighing.

"And Vega is?"

"Oh, my _driver?_" Connor answered unsure, He hadn't really taken to asking what everyone's role was, seeing as he wasn't allowed to be very involved, but every time that he had gone out (which had been twice and to the doctors, not a pleasant memory) Vega had driven them.

"Cool you've got your own _driver?!"_

Connor shrugged, not knowing what the big deal was.

Vin shook his head, scoffing.

"That's mad."

"Whose mad?" Dave asked, trying to avoid B's constant chatter.

"Con-man's got his own driver man."

"Oh, that's fucking awesome!"

"Sure," Connor replied. Seeing the black van in the pick-up lane, he started to walk over. Slowly.

"Well, guess we'll see ya tomorrow!" B yelled out, taking a pause on his 'Monday rant' to say goodbye.

"Yeah, tomorrow. Bye," Connor waved, unassured, as he opened the van's back door.

"Connor," Vega greeted.

"Hi Vega"

"Glad to see you survived the first day of high school."

Connor scoffed

"I grew up in hell, this was like a summer vacation."

Vega laughed as he peeled away, heading back to the law firm.

* * *

It was official. 

As Connor entered his dad's office and spotted each member of the team, he knew for sure now that no one did anything around there.

Heck, even _Lorne _managed to slip away from his assistant to be there.

He was congratulated by the gang and hugged by Fred and Lorne before he even knew it.

"So, what'd you think? Did you like it? I saw some of the things that they teach in the school, and _man_ I wish I'd gone there. Was it fun? Make any friends?"

Fred was a motor mouth, but Connor smiled at her, feeling somewhat relaxed for the first time all day.

"It was alright. I still don't see the point in it."

Gunn scoffed.

"Junior, it's been years and I _still_ don't see the point in it."

"Don't tell him _that_," Wes said from his perch behind Angel's desk. It had been decided, and almost petitioned, that 'someone' take over for Angel's desk.

In all of the vampire's obsessions, the constantly incoming files seemed to have no end or order on the man's desk.

"As if he needed any more incentive not to want to go," Angel said, smirking over at the boy. He was besides Wes, as they went through the files and tried to find some kind of order in them.

"Well," pressed Fred, still in her lab coat as she tugged him over to one of the couches in the office.

"Tell all, doll, let Lorne hear your woes."

Connor scoffed at the green demon, but he'd been learning to take a liking to him. Especially since his was the one department that seemed the most active and entertaining when he visited.

So, Connor went through his dull day, recalling each dreadful period. Which brought up the fact that the gruesome teachers to give grotesque homework. That only forced Angel to not only send Connor upstairs to do his work, but the rest of the team to get _back_ to work.

Which made Connor really, really glad that he didn't have to get back to school. Least not until tomorrow.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	5. Just Another Night In the Life of A Boy

CHAPTER TITLE: Just Another Night In the Life of A Boy  
**RATING**: R, for language, violence and stuff  
**SUMMARY**: Here's Connor!  
**PROMPT**: Connor AU Series, leading into #3 Alcohol  
**WARNING**: Here there be, language, spanking, drinking. THIS IS YOUR WARNING!  
**CHARACTERS**: Angel, Connor (15),Wes, Gunn, Vin(16), Dave(15), Brendon(16), James Vega, Travis Greene, OFCs an OMCs  
**DISCLAIMER**: Let's just say, if I owned Angel, I wouldn't need to be writing fanfics, now would I? They would be episodes. AND it would not have been canceled.  
**NOTES**: Again, LONG. I impress myself a lot lately... 

Sorry for the delay! I thought that I'd already posted this ((smacks self on head))

Thanks again for all the reviews, favoriting, and alerts! Which luckily enough, made me realize that HELLO haven't posted! ((hides self))

Title from Johnny Test (cartoon)'s intro song. But that says 'day' instead.

Not beta'd, but whocares, enjoy it anyway :D...

* * *

The first week of school wasn't too bad. It could've been worse, Connor decided. He could have been back in Quor'toth. 

He came to really like the guys. They were always doing something, talking about somewhere else and seemed to knew everything about everyone who was worth knowing. And everyone seemed to know them.

Now, Connor wasn't exactly one for popularity. He didn't know of its importance or of the high school hierarchy that engulfs every school. He didn't know that he was already one of the top.

It was Friday and as they were leaving morning Chapel, Isabelle Harvey, one of the so called hottest girls in St. Michael's, came up to him wondering if he'd be going to _Les Deux_.

"What?"

She laughed at his cluelessness, twirling her hair the way that most girls seemed to do when they wanted attention.

"Come _on_, LD, like EVERYONE goes there! You've gotta come. No, you're _so_ there! It'll be total bore without you and _hello_, SUCH a great bar! So, like 10 ish, kay. Bye, babe!"

And then, just like that, she was gone.

"No! No fucking way! Izzy Harvey just invited you to LD with her. Dude! You're SO going!"

He was now in lunch, sitting with Vin and Dave and leaning on the far wall of the outside of the mechanics building. They were talking about their days and Connor had just mentioned the awkward invitation.

"What! No, this makes no _sense_. I don't even want to go."

"No, Con-man, Hotlegs Harvey doesn't just ask anyone out. Okay, B's tried!"

"I don't want to go out!" Connor replied. In truth, he was trying to talk his dad into letting him have his own room, in hopes that with the added independence, he'd be able to sneak a good hunt in somehow.

"Oh, you want to go! Everyone wants to fucking go to LD."

"I don't."

"Listen, home schooled, I get it okay? You've totally been deprived of what the real important things in life are," Vin started, slipping his arms across Connor's shoulders like he did every time he felt Connor needed a 'life lesson'.

"Vin, stop."

"And the real important things in life are," Vin prompted, ignoring Connor completely.

"Girls," Dave answered, smiling wide and biting into his sandwich.

"Yes young grasshopper. Girls. And Hotlegs is, as mentioned a _hot_ girl. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't come over your house tonight, 930, and drop you over there?"

"Ooo, pick me up too!"

Vin gave his friend a look.

"Dave, your mother's not letting you go anywhere. We've tried and failed. Connor, however, still has a chance at a life."

"Hey," Dave whined, undignified.

"One, there's no way that I'll be leaving at any rate. There's just no way out of there! Secondly, I don't want to go."

"Connor, you just don't see it do you? You're a nightclub _virgin_."

Connor frowned.

Vin sighed. Sometimes, it seemed like the kid hadn't lived fifteen years in the same planet.

"You're going, I'll help you sneak out, might even get Dave here away from his Mommy's aprons. It'll be fun, don't worry."

"Hey, my mom does _not_ wear an apron."

"Right, she'd feel too stereotyped."

"Well, yeah. Fuck you, Vin, just forget it!"

"No," Vin said, bouncing to his feet. He turned around to the two younger boys. "I've made it my mission. You're leaving your Momma's nest tonight and Connor's losing his virginity."

Dave sputtered his juice. Vin rolled his eyes.

"Nightclub virginity, Maefield. Don't be so dramatic. Go clean up before the next block, your white's all blue."

&&&&&&&&&

It had been easier than Connor had imagined. Angel had had to run off to chase some client of his, that had broken their contract and attacked a human, so he was out for the night.

In actuality, all Connor had had to do was bypass a sleeping Gunther, his 'babysitter', and head down the private elevator to the garage.

"This place is sweet!" Vin said as Connor slipped into the passenger seat.

Connor shrugged.

"Your dad lives here? Man, that's nuts!"

"Works here, I don't know. Packaged deal? He didn't really say."

Vin nodded, driving away from the firm and to Dave's location.

"Yeah, 'rents are like that."

"Rents?"

Vin scoffed, taking a tight left turn.

"Pa_rents_. Seriously, were you even born in this century!"

Connor glance over at his friend.

"Yes, I am."

"Good to know," Vin replied, smirking and turning the radio on loud.

Dave had had a harder time sneaking out, and was caught by his eldest sister. Somehow he had talked his way free and sprung like a rabbit towards the car.

"Sweet Maefield," Vin said nodding at him as he slipped into the backseat.

"Thanks, barely made it," Dave sighed, flopping backwards in the seat. "Toby lend you his car?"

Vin scoffed.

"Hell no, but what he's to drunk to remember isn't my problem."

"You stole this car?" Connor asked, suddenly getting that sick feeling in his stomach he got when he stepped into some major trouble. Like the other night when he'd tried to go hunting and had bypassed an arguing Angel on the phone and a chatty Harmony before heading down to the labs and playing with one of the weaponry being tested there. Greene had dragged him back to the office and a very angry Angel had read him the riot act (a cliché he'd recently learned) and had proceeded to show him just how displeased at him he as with a very unpleasant spanking before being sent to bed like a child.

Vin scoffed.

"My brother's not gonna miss it for a few hours. I'll have it back by then, no biggie," Vin answered in his always calm and self assured way.

"Oh, okay."

Connor looked the vehicle over, it was pretty cool as cars went He hadn't been in many, but there were a lot of cars in the parking lot at school and in the firm's garage that he had seen his fair share of them. Even if he had no idea one form the other.

It was even easier to slip unnoticed into the nightclub. Vin had dragged the two to the door, announcing them as Izzy's guest. They were let in, not even checking them for ids. Apparently, Izzy's rep was good enough. No that Connor knew what that meant either.

As far as Connor saw, all he had to do was get home in an hour or so and his dad would be none the wiser.

If only the kid was so lucky.

&&&&&&&&&

"What do you _mean_ he's no there?" Angel yelled into Gunn's cell phone. He had left his behind, by accident, and hadn't really expected to even get a call.

But, alas, he had seemingly underestimated his offspring.

He listened as Gunther frantically rattled off how he'd woken and gone to check on his charge to find him missing. Security tapes in the elevator found the little rascal traveling down to the garage and then disappearing.

Just his night.

"How long ago was this?" Angel all but growled into the handheld device.

"We've been checking the building and tapes for the past hour, sir. We didn't want to bother you until we were absolutely certain."

Of course they did, Angel thought. With the firm's record, any misdeed was more or less met with death.

He could practically see Gunther shaking in his boots as they spoke.

"I understand," he gritted through his teeth. "Keep me posted. The _second_ that anything comes up, call. Are we clear?"

"Yes sir," Gunther replied.

Angel flipped the cell shut, almost tossing it against the wall in the building that they'd just finished the job in. But then he remember that the cell was Gunn's and so handed it back to him.

Wesley, Gunn and head of security Travis Greene were all with him, watching as W&H's clean up crew cleaned up the apartment and making it all appear as if nothing had ever transpired there. It was a pretty amazing sight.

"Everything alright, Angel?"

Angel glanced over at Wes.

"Connor snuck out."

"What?" Wes asked, turning hotly towards the vampire.

"Yeah, the little - _ugh_ - is loose."

Gunn shook his head.

"Sparky needs a leash."

Greene turned to him, giving him a look. The other two glance between them, noticing how Angel pointedly look away from the man.

"Angel," Greene finally started.

Unnecessarily, Angel sighed deeply.

"I know, okay? I know."

Travis shook his head.

"I'll make a few calls, don't worry, we'll find him before the night's kill goes dry."

&&&&&&&&&

The night was, for lack of better terms, AWESOME! Connor Angel was having the time of his life, for the first time in his life. He had no cares, no worries and had no idea where the hell anyone went.

But there was a very attractive girl hanging off his every word. Not that he even knew what he was saying.

Glancing down at his hand, he was surprised to find a half empty bottle of what he presumed was beer. It smelt like beer. He had a bitter taste in his mouth, now that he thought about it, that must be beer.

But where in the world had he gotten his hands on the alcohol?

Connor clearly, well not so _clearly_ but still very present, remembered that he had told Izzy that he was no going to drink.

He didn't have that much experience with the beverage, but from what he'd seen on the streets that first month that he'd been back, alcohol did not have a pretty face.

Not to mention, it was having a horrid effect on his…everything.

"Du-ude, you okay?" Vin asked, coming up besides him.

Connor glanced through the mirage of people and movement at his friend.

"'ink so," Connor muttered.

Vincent giggled. Actually giggled.

"And whoz sshe?" he asked, pointing at the red head hanging on to Connor for dear life.

Connor glanced again at the girl at his side. He had no idea where she'd even come from.

"Who rrr you?" he asked her.

"Aggie," he huffed, probably mad that she had to retell him her name, if he'd heard it before.

Connor turned back to Vin.

"'tz Aggie," he replied back.

"Nooooo!" she cried out, clearly plastered herself. "Not _Aggie_, Aggie!"

"That's what I said!"

"No, you said Aggie!"

"_NO_ you said Aggie!"

"Not Aggie, Mah- Maggie! Damn!"

Connor glared at the girl. How was it his fault that shed forgotten her own name.

"Fine! Mah-aggie!"

Besides them, Vin was watching this all, laughing so hard that he was finding it hard to stay vertical. Falling backwards, he was caught by a pair of strong arms.

"Ni_ce_ catch!" Connor congratulated the guy. He would have grabbed for Vin, he had great reflexes, but it seemed that at the moment they weren't really up to their usual par.

The guy growled at him.

"Sorry, Dude!" Vin said, smiling that cocky smile of his as he straightened himself up and managed to get onto his own two feet.

"HEY! Where'd the fuck ya go?" Dave asked, tumbling his way out of the frenzy and towards them.

Vin shook his head.

"You missed it, man!" he yelled over at Dave to be heard. "Con-man here's gotten himself a girl"

Dave looked at the two of them, seeing how Vin laughed at his own joke and how Connor didn't quite seem like himself.

"What, Izzy finally make her move?"

Vin laughed, again.

"Hell no! some other chick, Maggie somebody. Who knew that the little Angel here was so resourceful?" Vin asked rhetorically as he ruffled at Connor's hair.

Connor tossed his friend his best drunken glare. Sure, Vin was older, looked stronger and stood taller than him, but it didn't make for him to be treated like a small child.

Connor smacked his hand away. Vin paid it no mind.

"So, I can see that you two are having an awesome time. I, however, have to head out now and get the car back 'fore my brother kills me."

"We gotta go?" Dave all but moaned.

"Nah, you guys stay here! Live a little! Grab a cab if you've got money and get home for midnight Cinderellas! I'll see you later!"

Connor and Dave smiled widely as they waved their friend goodbye.

"This is _soo_ fucking cool!" Dave commented. And Connor had to agree, this was a pretty damn good night.

&&&&&&&&&

James Vega was riding through the more known LA strip which for young people of all types of ages meant the night clubs. He was almost positive that a kid like Connor would never risk himself out late at night, with everything that the boy knew was out there.

But he had been told to patrol around that area for a bit, and there was no harm in looking, after all.

Imagine his shock when he recognized one of Connor's friends pulling out of a lot and heading away.

The car alone held the driver, meaning Connor wasn't in it since the boy didn't know the first thing about driving. But sure enough it didn't mean that he hadn't been _in_ the vehicle _before_.

Vega called it in, hoping for Connor's sake that the kid was smart enough not to be in a place like this.

&&&&&&&&&

Angel rode in a limo, heading over to find his wayward son. He had thought about driving himself, seeing as how not only was it night but W&H had made it so the sun wouldn't affect him within the vehicles, but in reality he was too worried/angered to not be a hazard on the road.

He'd been alerted that there was a high probability that Connor was at one of the nightclubs. So, after having just found his son and managed to uproot his life to make the kid safe, he was certain that he was going to kill the boy.

"This is it," his chauffer said.

Angel tensed. Looking at the street that they'd turned into, he could see why it appealed to the younger crowd. It was very active, with people walking from one place to the other. And by walking, he was thinking stumbling.

The entire street was lined with crowds of people and cars so that the limo slowly prowled towards its intended target.

"There's Vega, sir," he was told just as he spotted the black SUV.

"Pull over, Carter, and I'll go find my son."

Angel stepped out of the limo, and listened as Vega told him where he'd seen Connor's friend, a Vincent Hartley, come out from. Sure enough, as Angel neared the club's lot, he could smell the lingering scent of his child, as brief as was left. Connor had been inside a long time.

"Les Deux," Vega said from besides him, noting which club they were in front of. "Its pretty _in_ right now, I wonder how Connor got inside."

"I wonder why he's still in there," Angel growled as he headed for the door.

The bouncer held them up, but after announcing his position in a law firm and how his intents could revert from its determined peaceful demeanor to incriminating, they were quickly allowed inside.

The club was packed and even Vega could smell the amount of alcohol the place carried. The music was loud and everyone seemed to be 'dancing' towards the center of the place.

Angel frowned. The scents inside were so mixed that he was finding it hard to keep his trail on his son. There were all kinds of demons inside the club as well as humans. Angel felt the cold chills of death at the thought of what these things would do if they knew that the Miracle Child was amongst them.

It was Vega who spotted the teen. Just as he had turned to tell his boss that maybe the kid had already left, he spotted him with one of his other friends and they seemed to be heading for the side door.

"Sir," Vega said, pointing towards the retreating teens.

Angel turned around and saw as the two headed down from the platform . He shook his head, relieved at seeing the kid okay but not pleased that he'd been spotted first and that his kid was foolish enough to try and run off again.

"Alright, come on James, " he sighed, leading the way quickly to the front door behind them.

&&&&&&&&&

He was kind of regretting leaving his bed at all this morning.

Stupid Izzy Harvey.

Next time, he'd tell her just where she could go with her stupid invitations.

And then it hit him…

"Oh shit," he groaned, thinking about what he'd just sensed.

What was his dad going to say?

Connor led the way as he and David tried to get out of the club.

"Dude! Slow the fuck down!" Dave moaned as he tripped over himself, again, in his hast to keep up with his friend.

"Dave! Come on! We don't have time!"

Dave groaned. He wanted to sit down, wait for the room to stop spinning so much, but Connor didn't seem to think such a thing as a necessity.

"Time for what?"

Connor rolled his eyes. For a pretty smart kid, Dave was a complete dummy after drinking.

"Dave! Listen, I pointed out those guys to you, right? Do you want to get caught?" Connor asked, turning to give his friend a look that said 'No, you don't want to get caught, Dummy'.

"Hell no!"

"So move it!"

They reached the first floor and dashed over to the door. Connor's jumbled mind danced with glee at the thought that he had evaded Angel and Vega.

Opening the door, he and David dashed out right into an alleyway. They stopped for a second, Dave to catch his breath before he passed out and Connor to think.

"Uh, C-Connor?"

Connor twisted around to look his friend over.

"Wha-" he started to ask, but the question answered itself as he watched a demon began to attack a group of young women.

"Izzy?" Dave muttered, seeing one of the girl's as she turned towards the more lit street.

"Shit!" Connor yelled as he realized what was happening. As he tried to pull himself together and go save the girls, he saw two figures move in from the street.

The boys watched as the demon was man handled over to the wall and the girls were ushered away.

"Wow! Did you see that shit!" Dave yelled excited.

Connor groaned, not at all sharing the same delight as his friend at having to be rescued by his dad.

"Yeah, I saw it."

James Vega returned, just as Angel decapitated the demon.

"Oh my fucking goodness! Did you see that! That dude just snapped his _head_ off! Oh, man, we we've got to call the cops!"

Angel glared at him as he leaned back into the building, wishing some portal would appear and take him into yet another dimension. Make it so that by the time his dad found him he would no longer be radiating all that anger.

"Get over here," growled Angel, loud enough so that the kid could hear him.

"Hey," Dave whispered once his initial reaction of 'cool' started to wear off. "Where are you -

"Just come on, Dave," sighed Connor, heading over to the deadly calm vampire.

Dave followed closely behind him, hoping that his friend knew what he was doing.

Connor stopped in front of his dad, looking intently between his shoes, his dad's shoes, and the pile of dead demon behind Angel.

&&&&&&&&&

Angel shook his head. He couldn't believe his kid. Now his friend seemed to have the right idea. He was shivering head to toe and looking green, probably from the amount of alcohol he could smell on the boy.

Unable to think of what to say at the moment, and just grateful that his son was unharmed, he turned instead to Vega.

"Better call in a clean up crew," he said coldly, turning to head out of the alley. "I'll take these two home."

"You got it, boss," said Vega as he pulled out his cell and turned away to make the call.

The other boy tensed behind him. He could hear the boy's heartbeat intensify, his skin glistening with the smell of fear.

"Um, sir? I, uh, I think it'd be best if we just took a uh, a cab. Thanks, thank you though."

Angel looked over his shoulder at the two boys, giving them a stern look. Connor's gaze returned to the ground, shoulders slumping from the knowledge that the statement hadn't been optional. Not that he thought the kid hadn't figured that out before hand. The other boy visibly paled.

Angel sighed. He really didn't feel like dealing with _two_ teenagers at the moment. Especially since only one was actually his.

Figuring that he didn't want to give the frantic child before him a panic attack, he addressed his son.

"Connor, do you know where your friend lives?"

The direct question seemed to startle the boy as he looked between Angel and Connor.

Connor shook his had, not wanting to speak. His own heart was frantic, knowing the trouble that he was in. Angel could hear it beating a frantic second faster than it usually did. Not to mention the unhappy tone that the boy's stomach was taking at the alcoholic invasion.

"Connor?" the boy whispered to his friend.

Connor tried to slump further into himself.

"Don't worry, Dave," he sighed. Then, nudging his head towards Angel he added. "That's my dad."

The comment hadn't been said happily, but it had been the first time that Connor had admitted to such a thing. Sure, he called him Dad, but he'd been doing that since the day that he'd come in through the portal. There was something _more_ to hearing the kid comment that to someone other than their friends.

In all effects, it made Angel really giddy inside. But he maintained a stern look on his face. Because calling him dad wasn't going to save the boy from punishment.

Dave looked between him and Connor, seemingly surprised. True, Angel still looked twenty-seven, and sometimes he forgot that. Having a fifteen year old was a little improbable. Unless he'd gotten hitched at twelve, which yikes. But he refused to look bashed. Because like it or not, Connor was his and that was that.

Dave seemed to have seen something that had brought him to the same conclusion. Loosing some of the stiffness in his body, now that he was assured that he wasn't about to be kidnapped, he merely glanced down at the ground, mirroring Connor's pose.

"Well this fucking sucks," he muttered softly to himself.

Angel frowned.

"Hey, David? Don't you think that your in enough trouble to be tossing out words like that?" he asked sternly.

Dave looked stunned. How could Mr. Angel have heard him from where he was standing?

Connor groaned, tossing his dad a glare. Sure, he wasn't sure what word Dave had tossed around, but he knew enough that Angel wasn't supposed to have heard that comment and pointing it out wasn't cool.

"Sah, sorry, sir," Dave stuttered out of reflex, not certain if he'd really been heard or, like his own mother, it had just been obvious of his attitude. Unlike his mother, however, he did not contest the matter.

Especially not just after seeing how that _thing_ had been handled.

"Limo. Now, move it."

The boy followed closely behind his son, heading straight for the awaiting limo. The boy looked back unsurely before stepping into it.

"Sir, I'll wait here for the crew," Vega said coming back besides them.

Angel nodded his thanks, grateful to leave the scene. That dead demon really reeked.

He slipped into the limo, not taking to notice how both boys noticeably flinched at the sound of the slamming door.

The further Carter drove away from the scene, the stiffer the boys got.

"We're at the firm, sir," Carter announced as they pulled into the law firm's garage.

Much like Vin had hours before, Dave gapped at the building.

"Dude, you live here? No fucking way!"

Connor shrugged, going to open the door as Carter stopped the limo. The faster he made it upstairs and into his bed, the less likely that he was to be punished tonight.

"You know, David if you apologize for something, you shouldn't go off and do it again," Angel spoke sternly to the blond boy climbing out of the vehicle. Then, facing his own son he continued. "Say like, running off when you're not supposed to."

Connor tensed at the look he felt on his back as he neared the elevator. He could clearly think back to the time (times) that Angel was mentioning: when he'd left in the middle of the night for his old apartment after being told to head to bed; and when he'd strolled through some of the floors in the firm after being order to stay at the penthouse. Both times hadn't gotten happy results.

He really did wish he learned faster.

Dave followed unsure into the elevator behind Connor and Angel nodded Carter goodbye as he stepped into the lift.

They went straight to the office, not wanting to walk the boys through the chaos that was W&H after hours. Stepped out of the lift, Angel pointed at the sofas, indicating that the two should take a seat.

Dave looked around the enormous office. He knew from the few times that Connor had briefly mentioned it that Mr. Angel was a lawyer, which he knew made a lot of money, but _damn_.

Angel came back, handing to David a handheld phone. Dave only looked at it. Angel sighed. Apparently, absentmindedness was common amongst teens.

"Call home," Angel instructed, tossing the phone towards the kid, who caught it and then proceeded to stare at it. "Today, kid. So, you know, that they won't go crazy wondering where the hell you went off to tonight. Might like to mention them coming to pick you up, too."

Dave looked up at him, visually seeking if he was serious. Which he was. Groaning, he started to punch in his number.

Angel walked over to his son, leaving the other boy to his call. He sat down besides him, looking at him trying to asses what possessed the boy to do such things.

"Stop staring at me," Connor gritted. He hated people looking at him, Angel knew, but he also used that as a method to make the teen speak out faster and confess.

So he stayed silent.

Connor angrily crossed his arms over his chest, mirroring Angel's pose, though more tensely.

They would have remained that way had Dave not announced that he was finished with his call and that his mother would be there within the hour.

&&&&&&&&&

Connor and Dave were made to sit through a lecture, courtesy of one of Greene's finest. They heard about the dangers of the street and the dangers of alcohol. Nothing Dave hadn't heard and nothing Connor seemed to care about. Besides, the demon was completely left out of the lecture - presumably do that Dave wouldn't get the event reinforced and would think it his drunken slumber.

Then, Greene began about the incredible stupidity they held at risking themselves to strangers, alcohol, and the police.

Angel stood back watching as both boys fidgeted and rolled their eyes. Travis Greene had brought a matter to his attention. Los Angeles wasn't the kind of place to have a child roaming the streets unattended, and they couldn't be chasing after him all of the time, even within the firm itself.

And then Greene had proposed a tracker.

Initially, Angel had detested the idea. He didn't want to track his kid like an animal, didn't want to give him the image that he had no privacy in his life. But then, going over what little he knew of the boy and what he'd lived through, he thought that it might not be such a bad idea.

So, as Greene finished off lecturing and got both boys to at least look remotely put down, he shared a look with Angel and noted that the man had reached his conclusion.

Harmony came in, announcing that Ms. Maefield had arrived at the lobby.

Angel decided to wait until the next day to announce the tracker to his son, seeing as how now didn't prove to be the best moment. He led Connor and Dave back into the elevator and hit the button for the lobby.

Connor was starting to get really aggravated. Sure, he understood that he was in trouble for sneaking out, but he couldn't get what the big deal everyone was making was.

Besides him, Angel could sense the attitude changes in him. He had seen enough of them in his short time with Connor to know that the kid wasn't going to be very cooperative. Dulling it all out to the alcohol intact that the two managed, he decided he'd handle the entire night the next morning.

&&&&&&&&&

Dave spotted his mother and began to walk slower to where she was pacing in the lobby. Angel led the way, introducing himself as he came upon her.

"Ms. Maefield?"

"Yes?"

"Hi, I'm Angel, Connor's dad," Angel introduced himself, ignoring her look (probably thinking he was way too young) and offering his hand instead.

"Hi," she said awkwardly. Spotting her son, however, stopped her from having any further reason for small talk. "David Thomas Maefield, care to tell me what in God's name you were thinking?"

Her tone was stern and restrained from yelling, but David still tensed. He hated seeing his mother like that. He knew better than to answer any of her questions as he listened to her list off all of his 'crimes'.

"Have you any idea what has passed through my mind when Emily called me to tell me that you weren't home! Then Tabitha tells me that you went off with Vincent and I just _knew_ you'd find trouble!"

"Ms. Maefield?" Angel spoke, calmly as ever, like when he tried to calm victims of attacks. She looked over at him, stopping in her rant. "Would you prefer to head up to my office to talk, I don't really think it right to interrupt these people as they wait here."

Looking around, she seemed to note for the first time that there were others around her. She would have liked to continue talking, find out every detail that the man knew about what her son had done, but she really didn't have the time.

"I think it'd be better if we headed out. Thank you mister?"

"Angel, just Angel. And it was no trouble. I'm sorry we had to meet for such a situation."

She nodded at his pleasantries.

"Angel then, thank you for taking my son away from the streets tonight. I thought that he knew better than to do such things, but I'm afraid I underestimated him. I assure you, it wont happen again."

Dave looked like he wanted the ground beneath him to eat him up in the spot.

"Well, I thought I'd told you that I had the boys checked by my medical staff and other than a bad hang over, they'll be fine in the morning. Also, I had the clubs on the strip informed of their trespassing and have made it so that no exceptions are taken in those clubs to checking Ids."

Ms. Maefiled shot Dave a look of fury.

"Club? What club David? You didn't mention any club on the phone! You said that you were found in the streets! A hangover means that you were drinking! Funny, you didn't mention that either! You want to go off drinking and clubbing all night? Is that what you want? Is that what I send you to school for? So you can turn out like ver other lowlife man out there?" she ranted, grating Dave out for every little thing and making it seem as if he was th epiphany of the male species.

Connor watched her chew his friend out and didn't like what he was hearing. He didn't feel that Dave deserved what she was saying because it sounded really mean and all in all, he still felt like they hadn't done such a bad thing. So he wouldn't sneak out anymore, no surprise there, and he wouldn't take drinks from people he didn't know. Especially if they smelled funny.

But that didn't make him a degenerate male. Did it?

"Give a rest lady and leave him alone!"

Ms. Maefield stopped in her rant to stare t him. Besides him, Angel could believe the disrespect from the boy.

"Excuse me?" she asked, directing her anger towards him now. But Connor didn't back done.

"Connor!" warned Angel at the same time that the woman spoke.

"So tonight was stupid, but Dave isn't a bad guy, so leave him alone! You don't have to be so fucking mean!"

Angel reacted on instinct, not believing the word that has so easily slipped from his son's mouth. He smacked Connor's butt, not seeming to realize that they were in public over the shock of his son's filthy mouth.

"ow" Connor gritted, turning over to glare at him.

"Apologize," Angel ordered, feeling his anger start to rise again. Connor continued to glare a second longer, causing Angel to take a step closer to him.

Connor was so furious at what his dad had done, knowing he'd been rude himself with his tone but hating that he'd gotten swatted for it. At the threatening step, he flipped back over to his friend's mother and uttered an apology.

"I'm sorry, but it seems this nights pulled out long enough. Hope you have a safe ride home, but we've got to go now," Angel gritted, maintaining the last dregs of his patience so that he wouldn't explode on the boy in public.

Ms. Maefield looked like she wanted to say something . Then, seeming to think better of it, she nodded, grabbed her son by the arm and led him out of the lobby.

&&&&&&&&&

Angel marched Connor right back into the elevator without another word. Going straight up into the penthouse, he tugged at Connor towards the sofa. Connor resisted, pressing his heels into the floor, but Angel wasn't in mood for playing any games. He grabbed Connor and easily tossed him over his shoulder.

"No! Dad! Put me down!" Connor shrieked, wiggling in his hold and trying to shove himself off.

Angel sat himself on the living room couch that was directly in front of the elevator. He positioned Connor on his lap and proceeded to swat at the boy's butt, deciding to address the rudeness immediately.

"Ow! Dad! Ahh, st-op"

Having heard how easily the other boy had let the word slip, Angel had no doubt as to where his son had learned such language. It just proved as another bad note towards the kid attending school that he had feared.

"That was very rude of you! You do NOT use that kind of language!"

"Owww! Daad!"

"I don't want to ever hear you say that word from again!"

"Oww! What! Ahh! Dad!"

Angel stopped his hand's downward fall.

"Do you know why I scolded your friend for? What he said?"

Connor sniffed, gulping air to try and regain some composure. Not easy to do since he was still 'in position'.

"He h-ad an at-ti-tude," Connor stammered through his sobs.

"Yes, Connor, he had an attitude. But he also said a bad word and you repeated it."

"Bad word?" Connor asked. He'd never heard of such a thing. Sure, he'd heard that you could condemn a person through a curse, Holtz had been abdomen about that. Saying how he'd been a curse to the human race, a human created from sin. It had been the main nightmares of his youth.

To think that he had done the same thing to that woman was unthinkable.

"I, I _cursed_ her?" Connor asked, suddenly starting to cry again.

"What?" Angel asked startled. He flipped Connor over, sitting the boy on his lap in order to be able to talk directly at him.

"Connor, what are you talking about. You didn't curse anyone."

Connor cried onto Angel's shoulder, allowing his dad to hug him close. He just couldn't believe that after receiving that treatment he would do that to someone back.

"I didn't mean to!"

Angel hugged his son close.

"You didn't curse her, I swear to you. She's fine."

Angel continued to reassure his son until Connor's sob's stopped.

"Connor, you said a bad word. A very bad word, but its only bad because of what it means, not because it curses someone. People give the word certain bad meanings so that they can use it when they're mad at someone. Now, I know that you didn't know it was a bad word, so I shouldn't have punished you, but you caught me by surprise. I really don't like the word you used, but you didn't know that, so I'm sorry."

Connor nodded, grateful that he hadn't condemned his friend's mother. He found mothers to be a precious thing, he just hadn't liked how she'd been talking to his friend.

"I'm sorry too," he apologized, too wrapped up in his thoughts about ms. Maefield to realize that he'd been apologized to for a spanking. That hadn't happened yet.

"I know, Con. But. You do understand that if you say it again though, there won't be any excuses?"

Connor nodded. Happy to be done with that matter, Angel kissed the op of his head before lifting him up and carrying him over to the bedroom.

Placing Connor on his bed as he made up the hideabed, he couldn't help but dread all the things that his precious boy was going to be learning. He surely hadn't anticipated these kinds of lessons.

Connor was mostly asleep when Angel finished, so Angel grabbed the kid's pajamas and decided to change him. It was kind of awkward, the teens long limbs pulling away and rather seeking the warmth of the bed's comforters.

Angel quickly finished up dressing him, and Connor was already asleep and easily lifted and placed into his bed.

He looks like an angel, he thought ironically as he kissed his forehead goodnight and tucked him in. _A little demon with the face of an angel._

_To Be Continued..._

Isn't he just ADORABLE!! Hope you Enjoyed!


	6. Possibly WitchCraft

**CHAPTER TITLE**: Possibly WitchCraft  
**RATING**: R, for language, violence and stuff  
**SUMMARY**: The morning after...no, not THAT!  
**PROMPT**: Connor AU Series, #3 Alcohol  
**WARNING**: Here there be, language, spanking. THIS IS YOUR WARNING!  
**CHARACTERS**: Angel, Connor (15), Wes, Gunn, Lorne, Fred, A surprise at the end  
**DISCLAIMER**: Let's just say, if I owned Angel, I wouldn't need to be writing fanfics, now would I? They would be episodes. AND it would not have been canceled.  
**NOTES**: Not AS LONG as it usually turns out to be, but it had to happen sometime! 

Sorry for the delay! ((smacks self on head, again)) I keep forgetting about updating! Ahh, need a calendar or something. _New Year's Resolution!!_

Thanks again for all the reviews, favoriting, and alerts! You ALLrock!!!

Title Kinda touches on a scene here. And, yes, I such at titles. Really badly. :0)

* * *

_The Next Morning_:

Connor awoke, not too certain of why the room was spinning. He wished it'd stop.

A second later it did. His stomach however…

Angel entered the room, having heard from the living room signs that the little rebel was awake, just as Connor made it to the bathroom.

He shook his head.

Angel, or rather _Liam's_, first time with alcohol had rendered much of the same effects. Granted, in those days aspirin wasn't made available and if it had been, his father would not have gotten it for him. Liam had been a little younger than Connor was when he'd gotten ripping drunk, but that wasn't a topic to be brought up at the moment. He had to focus on his son, and more importantly imparting that such behavior was _not_ acceptable.

Connor dragged himself out of the bathroom. He could sense his dad's gaze on him as he walked himself back into the room.

Angel was leaning against the a side table, watching him. To say it unnerved him was an understatement. He knew that they had to address what he'd done the night before and he wasn't too happy about that.

Seeing as how he'd have to pass by his dad to get back to his 'bed', way to close to swatting proximity, Connor walked over instead to Angel's bed and flopped down onto it.

The covers on the master bed were so-oh comfy that snuggling into them, Connor almost fell back to sleep.

Angel sighed, watching his 'tough' son cuddle into the warmth and comfort that the bed provided. Having just heard the boy gorging his insides out he felt slightly bad about what he was about to do. But, the alternative being that Connor go around thinking that sneaking out and drinking all night was acceptable was enough incentive to walk him over to the slump form.

Shaking him slightly back into consciousness, Angel handed over some aspirin.

"Take these, you'll feel better," he instructed.

Connor took the pill, drowning the water right after. He knew that he was in deep trouble, and there was just no sense in doing something more to aggravate the man.

Taking the empty glass back, Angel set it aside standing before his son with his arms crossed over his chest. Connor tried to maintain eye contact but couldn't.

"Want to tell me what you were thinking last night, sneaking out of here?" Angel asked, way too calmly.

To say that he'd been pleasantly pleased with how easy it had been didn't seem like the right answer, so Connor kept his mouth shut.

Still not the right answer.

Angel reached forward, taking Connor's chin in hand and making the boy look back at him.

"I asked you a question."

"I…I wasn't?" Connor answered, unsure of himself. It sounded like a safe enough answer, it was after all what Mr. Hayes, his mathematics teacher, also said. That they didn't understand because they weren't thinking.

Angel scoffed.

"Well, at least we can agree on that," he said, not sounding so agreeable. "Care to tell me _why_ you found the need to sneak off last?"

Connor sighed. To say that he hadn't really thought of his repercussions until the very last second was really taking its toll on his. Especially since he just acted, no real thoughts involved.

It was after all how he'd survived most of his life.

Angel released his chin, returning to his imitating pose of crossing his arms and frowning intensely.

"Tell me all that happened last night."

"Oh come on," Connor moaned, dropping his head onto his hands.

"Now, Connor," Angel firmly ordered.

So, slowly, he did. He told of how he'd been asked to go by some girl, and how the guys had seemed to think of it as a big deal. He told of B's plan to get them out, but how B had had to work that night (otherwise, they'd probably would've gotten away with it, but he left that part out). He told of getting into the night club and then finding Izzy, then losing Izzy into the mix. He told all of which he could remember, which including completely forgetting how in the world it was that he had started drinking. And the girl, he had no idea where she'd came from. Aggie Whatsherface.

"You mean to tell me that you have no idea how you got drunk?" Angel asked, leaning on the back of the Connor's couch and glaring at the teen.

"No! I know _how_."

"You just don't actually know how. Or when. Or how many!"

Well, when Angel put it that way, it sounded as bad as it felt. Just freaking great.

"Yeah," Connor answered cheaply. What else could he possibly say? His dad already knew the answer, and if he didn't he would probably be able to tell he was lying before he even spoke a word.

Angel rubbed at his face. This was worst than he imagined. He wondered if he should get into all the dangers of the human world, or just ground him indefinitely.

"Connor, you had _have_ no reason to be anywhere near any clubs or alcohol."

"You have alcohol. All over."

Angel groaned. So not what he had wanted to discuss.

"I'm an adult. And I'm a vampire. My liver is as dead as its going to get. You, however, are only fifteen and human. You have _no_ right to be drinking and your body can't possible handle the impact. And, it's against the law. Do you need any more reasons?"

Connor groaned. Angel was being exceptionally loud that morning.

"Not so loud, Dad," he moaned, covering his ears.

Angel sighed.

"Alcohol, does that to you son. Makes things distorted, and makes you feel like sh- bad in the morning. You're way too young to understand the effects that it can have on you, which is why its _illegal_ for you to drink any."

"Everyone there was drinking."

Angel slumped, completely not expecting that answer. But really, when it came to Connor, he should stop being so surprised all the time.

"Well, since you mentioned it, just because others are doing something, doesn't give you the right to do the same thing. So, it's not an excuse. You have a mind of your own, use it."

"I did! I told Izzy no!"

"How do you know Izzy gave it to you? You can't even remember drinking it!"

"I know I can't! I'm sorry! Alright!"

No, it wasn't alright. Inside, Angel was terrified at all the possibilities of what could have happened to his son. Sure, he headed W&H now, but there were so many other things out there that still wanted a piece of the boy. Literally.

He couldn't even be certain that all the baddies knew that the 'baby' of two vamps wasn't a baby any more.

"Do you have _any_ idea-" Angel started to say, but then he stopped. He didn't want his son to have those kinds of thoughts in his mind. The kind that kept him awake for months and gave the rest of his team restless nights.

"Forget it," Angel muttered, more to himself than the fidgety, cranky figure before him. He walked over to his son and tugged him to his feet.

"Dad?"

"Connor, what you did last night was completely irresponsible. I left Gunther with you for a reason -

"You don't trust me," Connor finished. He sounded saddened by the thought, showing for the first time that he even cared about what Angel really thought of him.

"No," Angel replied sadly. He wished he did, but the boy before him was, for all effects, still a stranger. "And after last night, can you blame me?

"I _want_ to trust you, son. I really do. But, you've got to give me something back in return. You've got to make it so that I can trust you, and you have to trust me back. So far, I think you can trust that your deeds won't go unpunished. I think you know how serious I am at keeping you safe. If that's not clear, I hope this reminds you."

Resigning himself again to the task, Angel sat down on the edge of his bed pulling Connor in front of him.

"Wait! Nooo, don't do _that_," Connor whined, taking a firm grip of his pajama bottoms' waist.

Angel pried the bottoms free, ignoring his son's whine as he tugged the apparel down.

Connor groaned.

"Please? I'm sorry!" Connor immediately stated, knowing that how he was currently feeling was going to make for the 'experience' just that much more painful.

"As well you should be, Con. But you snuck out and then drank yourself silly and that's just unacceptable." With that said, Angel placed Connor over his lap and proceeded to show the teen just how unacceptable his behavior was.

Angel was pleased to see that the couple of spanks the night before for cursing hadn't had too much of a lasting damage. In fact, there was no sign at all that he had even spanked the boy.

Connor whined and squirmed, trying to get free or talk his way out of the punishment. However, his mumbled mind was making so that his words came out incomprehensible.

Angel continued to spank him over until his cheeks turned lightly red. By then, Connor was wailing, and the fight was mostly gone from him.

"You will not sneak out of here again, do you hear me?" he asked, placing two particularly hard swats at the top of his thighs.

"Ye-es!" Connor yelled, gripping the bed sheets tightly in his fists.

"And you will never drink again!"

"I won't, I pr promise!"

Seemingly satisfied, Angel placed a final volley of swats, harder than the rest, on the repent bottom.

Gathering Connor back in his arms, Angel held him until the tears stopped streaming down his sad eyes.

"You okay?" Angel asked him.

Connor gave him a look that clearly replied, 'Who are you kidding!' but kept the comment to himself.

"Yeah, okay, dumb question. But I'm serious Con, I can't have you sneaking out of here. I need to know here you are at all times."

"That just really sucks," Connor muttered into his chest.

"Well, that's just how it is. We went over this before, I have to take care of you. I don't want anything bad to happen to you. And if it does, I have to be able to know here you are so that I can help you," Angel tried to explain. He unconsciously tightened his hold around the boy, remembering how torturous it was for him when the boy had been taken away from him.

"Um, Dad? I kinda, need…ta...breath."

"Huh? Right," Angel replied, loosening his arms a little.

Connor sighed.

"Okay, I get it. I got it before. You don't want me missing. You don't want me gone, and all that. I got it. You don't have to do_ that_ again."

Angel smiled down at him, wondering sadly if the innocent face before marked with its tears and juvenile glow, looked the same when he'd been younger.

"You, mister, brought _that_ on yourself. I don't like doing _that_. I'd prefer if you did learn from this and I won't have to repeat it, but can you honestly tell me that you're going to listen to everything I say from now on?"

Connor's gaze was enough answer. The defiant little rebel perfectly understood that, unless he changed his ways, _that_ would be repeated. Often.

"I didn't even _like_ the stupid beer," Connor mumbled, trying to find some kind of balance to his predicament.

Angel stifled a laugh as he stood them both up, replacing Connor's clothing. He then placed the boy back into the bed, tucking the comfy, soft bedding around his small frame.

"Good to know," he said, kissing his forehead and wiping away the last signs of the tears.

Connor twisted onto his stomach, hugging the sheets close to him. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but they still smelled of Angel and that made him feel safe.

Angel walked back into his office. The rest of his team was there waiting for him. He comforted Fred, who had not seen Connor the night before, and Lorne, who was shocked to hear that the little tot had gotten wasted, and told them the boy was fine.

Wes and Gunn had too headed out to look for the little imp, and had been pleased to find out that he'd been found. When they had arrived at W&H, they'd heard the scene that the woman had pulled and then had heard Connor's quick retort. They had been surprised by his language.

Seeing as how Angel had handled the situation quickly and had headed back up to the pent, they decided against making their presence known and could tell that Angel appreciated it. Because, of course the vampire had known them to be there.

They all briefed about their latest case, and headed off to their work, all the while thinking about how much simpler it would have been had the Connor that returned maybe had been a few years younger.

Angel had headed back upstairs to see Connor for his 'lunch break' hour. He found Connor stretched out on his stomach in the family room watching TV.

"This going to be a vice?" Angel asked taking a seat behind the kid on the couch.

"What is?" Connor asked, not looking away from the screen.

"The TV," Angel asked, laughing as the kid's actions had been enough answer for him.

"Don't know, what's a vice?" Connor asked, smirking.

Angel frowned, but following the boy's playful demeanor.

"You've been to a Catholic school for one full week and you don't know what vice is? I don't believe it."

Connor laughed slightly. Actually laughed. Angel smiled despite himself.

The boy's laughter was a virgin treat to his ears.

"Kidding," Connor said, rolling his eyes. "Or what, vamp with a soul's got no humor?"

Angel took one of the throw pillows on the couch and tossed it at the kid's head.

"Hey! Alright, alright!"

"Yeah, buddy boy, watch yourself."

"Watch myself do what?" Connor asked, flipping over and shifting around to sit so that nothing touched his sore bottom.

"Funny. Real funny. I must have lost all my humor genes passing them onto you."

Connor rolled his eyes.

"Connor come here please, I want to tell you something."

Connor gave him a nervous look, and for good reason. He'd gotten spanked that morning and the previous night, so he wasn't too keen on the matter.

Nevertheless, he settled down besides Angel on the sofa, grateful for the expensive furniture which was really soft and not _that_ disturbing on his bottom.

"I didn't enjoy the fact that I had to go searching for you last night, you know. Wesley, Gunn, Vega, and a lot of other people dropped what they'd been doing to go looking for you and that just can't happen all the time."

"I know, I'm sorry. Are you going to spank me again?"

Angel reached over and hugged his son close.

"No, son. You were already punished and that was that. However, this was a repeat offense for you, you know."

Angel waited to see if the boy admitted to the fact and sure enough Connor slowly nodded his agreement.

"I had a long chat with Travis yesterday, and he had a very good idea that he pitched to me. I didn't want to do this, but I think that maybe it'll help us all keep better tabs on you."

"What are you talking about?" Connor asked, looking up at him.

Angel sighed, resigning himself once again to the harsher points of parenting. He knew that the boy hated their trust issues, but in all actuality, it was safer all around. Knowing where his son was at all times would be such a stress relief that he had developed and overdeveloped during the boy's time missing.

Reaching into his pocket, Angel brought out a thin black bracelet with a small silver charm on it.

"What is that?"

"It's a bracelet that Travis gave me, for you. They developed it down in the security department. It's a tracker, Connor. It keeps tabs on your location at all times."

"What? But -"

"I'm sorry, son, but you tend to follow your instincts. And while that's a good thing, a great thing that will keep you alive often, it's really not safe for you while you're still so new here."

Connor looked at the bracelet. He didn't like the idea.

"That thing watches me? Tells on me?" Connor accused.

"No! nothing like that. It's a little more complicated. But, what it does is keep a record of your location. You seen maps?" Connor nodded, still looking only at the bracelet. "Well one of the things this does is give your location on a map."

"It's beeping."

Angel nodded. It kind of annoyed him too, he'd have to get them to fix that. He knew that neither of them would do with that thing constantly beep-beep-beeping.

"It's transmitting. It's telling a map where it is. And when I put it on you, it's going to tell the computers where you are."

"I don't want it. It sounds like witch craft."

"Witch craft? Connor, no, it's called technology. Computers, Television, that PSP and Gameboy you love so much. They're not evil, well they can be, but that's not the point. What I mean is this is safe, I wouldn't give it to you otherwise."

"Wait, the TV, and PSP track me too?"

Angel smiled, knowing that his son was smart but wondering if the twenty questions would ever stop.

He hoped they never would.

"No, just the bracelet."

Connor frowned, glaring at the bracelet as intently as he had his uniform on a daily basis.

"Does it help that you don't really have a say in the matter?" Angel asked gently, hoping not to tip the kid off.

Connor scoffed.

"Yeah, I kind of figured that one out, thanks."

Needless to say, Connor was stuck back in the penthouse that he had come to get to know so well. That weekend however, Gunn talked Angel into buying a pool table for the empty space in the penthouse, behind the couches. And so, Gunn started to teach the boy how to play pool and that wasn't _too_ bad.

Come Sunday afternoon, Angel's desk was once again littered with files and he and Wesley were going through them. They spent a few hours at it, enough that Fred had called it a day and was helpfully pointing out the best ways to categorized the mess. Lorne too was there, less helpful but quite entertaining as he talked about some of the people that had passed through his department recently. And it was quite an impressive list. Gunn and Connor had come down waiting to see if maybe they could get someone to get supper for them (they'd gotten too much take out lately, and neither knew how to cook).

As they were nearing the end of the pile, Wes spotted a file that had not been opened.

"Angel?"

Angel looked at the file, suddenly remembering its origin.

"Eve."

"That it?" Gunn asked, remembered the file that had been given to Angel upon their first night there. All of them had been curious but they'd forgotten about it in the chaos hat their lives had taken up.

Springing from his seat and over to the desk, Gunn snatched the file from Wes' hands. He balanced it in his hands, noticing it's strange form.

"There's something in it," he noted.

"Hope its not gross," Fred moaned, thinking of all the things she'd been seeing lately. Sure, it'd been cool; but it was still gross.

"I hope it's evil," Connor muttered, not really interested (since he'd probably not even get to see what it was) but kind of hoping to kill something nonetheless.

"Connor," Angel groaned automatically.

"Relax, Junebuggy," Lorne told the teen, ruffling his hair as he passed him on his way to the desk. "If it were evil, it wouldn't have rested so easily for so long."

"Right, we don't exactly have that kind of luck," Gunn mentioned.

"We have luck," Angel countered, taking the file from Gunn's hands and looking it over himself.

"Face it Angel, if we didn't have bad luck, we wouldn't have any luck at all."

Gunn ignored the glare that was sent at him, From most of the room's occupants.

"Why not just open it, and see for ourselves?" Wes suggested, because knowing the team like he did, they could very well speculate for hours on its contents.

Angel pealed the file open, turning it around so that he could take out whatever was inside.

And then fell an object, straight to the floor, where it shattered…and low and behold, there stood Spike.

To Be Continued...

See you All in the new Year:D


	7. Here's Spike!

**CHAPTER TITLE**: Here's Spike!  
**RATING**: R, for language, violence and stuff  
**SUMMARY**: And so, now there's Spike. What's the AI team to do??  
**PROMPT**: Connor AU Series, #3 Alcohol  
**WARNING**: Here there be, language mainly  
**CHARACTERS**: Angel, Connor, Wes, Gunn, Lorne, Fred, and Spike  
**DISCLAIMER**: Let's just say, if I owned Angel, I wouldn't need to be writing fanfics, now would I? They would be episodes. AND it would not have been canceled.

I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN THIS! I did forget my password onto here a few days ago though. Besides that, I've jsut been trying to make certain I have all my school things in order. Classes started up again, but I'll still find the time to write ;)

Thanks to all of you who read, review, favorite, and all that! Means a lot! Hope you all enjoy!

* * *

**Here's Spike!!**

"Who's Spike?" Connor asked for about the millionth time.

"You just saw him, the blond that came out of nowhere, that's Spike."

Connor glared at Gunn.

"What? That's Spike!"

"I got that, Gunn." Connor replied, slumping down in his chair as Gunn continued to flip through the channels.

Gunn nodded, apparently glad that the matter was settled.

Connor found that it was as pointless to glare at Gunn as it was to try and make Lorne unhappy.

"I'm gonna grab something to eat," Connor muttered as he made to leave the couch and leave the bedroom where they were sitting in.

"Sit," Gunn called out, not bothering to look away from the screen.

Connor didn't sat back down, but he didn't move any further.

"There's enough food right there," Gunn said, pointing to the chips, cookies, and sandwich tray that had been brought in.

"Well, I want…cereal," countered Connor.

This time, Gunn did look at him.

"And why's that?"

"Well, I like it…"

Gunn stood.

"Fine, I'll go get it."

Connor frowned.

"But, you'll do it wrong!"

Gunn turned back from the door, looking at him strangely.

"Do _cereal_ wrong? How can that even happen?"

"Well, uh," Connor started. The truth was, he wasn't too certain how to exactly do cereal, or if it could be done wrong.

Heck, Angel poured his cereal and he just ate. But, he wasn't about to just say that.

"Too much milk. Or not enough cereal. Anything!"

Connor wasn't sure, but it looked like Gunn rolled his eyes at him.

"Please, Junior, sit down. I'm not letting you go downstairs when your dad just sent you up here."

Connor looked back at Gunn with a hurt, innocent look on his face. As if the man hadn't just about read his mind.

"Gunn, I would _never_ -

Gunn scoffed.

"Sit," he said sternly, taking his own seat again.

"Fine, let me just grab a drink and -

"Connor, you're not going anywhere, so stow the act."

Connor refused to move, wanting desperately to rush downstairs and hating being left out of things that he was deemed 'too young' for.

Holtz had never thought of him as too young for anything.

"You can stay there if you like, Sparky, but you make a move towards the door and I'm taking you down."

"I can take you," he muttered before he even thought of what he was saying.

Sure, he knew he could take the older, black man, but it wasn't in his best interest. Pulling any kind of stunt on Gunn, especially after his weekend, would just end up with his butt getting roasted.

Gunn turned away from the flat screen to glare at him.

"You want to test that?"

Connor's gaze continued to glare back definitely, making Gunn conclude that he would very well take him up to the challenge. Standing up, he made a move towards the boy.

"Fine, you jerk, I'm not going nowhere!" growled Connor, slumping down on the couch before Gunn could reach him.

"You better watch it, Connor," warned Gunn, settling once more into his seat and giving the kid a _look_.

Not Connor's best day at all.

"Bloody, I'm in hell!" Spike concluded as he tried to grasp that he was in fact, dead. Literally. More so than before.

Though, being a spirit was a little deader than being a vampire. None of the cool side effects that was for sure.

And he was certain that Angel was behind it all.

"Eh…No," Lorne said, speaking finally as the shock of seeing the leather clad fellow appear out of the nothing. "LA, but a lot of people make that mistake."

Spike rolled his eyes, then settled them on Angel. He glared at his grandsire, the poof.

"Spike, can you at least get out from the desk?", Angel said, his eyes on the blond still standing _in_ his desk.

Spike, glaring at Angel walked out of the mahogany desk and into the space in front of it.

Wes watched the young vampire as he looked around the room curiously.

"Spike? What are you doing here?" he questioned.

Spike scoffed, not bothering to look over at him. He never really like the goof anyway.

"So, you're Spike??" Fred said, just to be saying something.

To her, Spike did glance. He gave her a once over, seeing her as the least threatening in all the room.

"Yep," he replied, carefully walking around to the spot that he had initially appeared.

Something laid chattered on the floor. Spike bent down to see it better, growling when he couldn't pick it up to inspect it for a closer look.

"The hell is this!" he yelled frustrated with his lack of a body.

Lorne walked over to him. Though he'd never met the young vampire, he had heard Angel say a thing or two about the blond to not feel threatened by him.

"What's the last thing you remember, "

Spike sighed, slowly walking over to one of Angel's lavish couches to sit down…until he remembered that he couldn't actually sit down.

"Bloody hell!"

"Look at it this way, Spike," Angel said, coming to sit down in front of him. "At least your not slipping through the floor there."

Connor was kept in the penthouse all day. He barely got to see any of the gang as they came up for a word with Gunn. Fred was the only one that actually stopped and talked to him, even if only for a brief second. And when he finally got a word in with Wes, the man's mentioning of school prompted his dad to ask about his homework. Which just got him a glare from Gunn about lying and confinement to the study until it all actually was done.

Which made it just that much harder to listen in on the conversations.

Connor wanted to know more about this Spike character. No one would tell him anything. And he absolutely hated not knowing things.

And not in the sense that school tried to force on him either. No, Connor wanted to know about vital things. Things of _actual_ importance.

Though, he hated to admit it, some of the things that he was learning were pretty cool. And by that, he meant his history class.

With Gunn no longer entertaining him, or allowing him any real source of joy, Connor had nothing but time to actually get through his homework.

There was the laptop in the study, fully connected to high-speed internet, but Fred hadn't gotten around to it yet about how exactly to work the things, and Gunn said that his knowledge wouldn't really please Angel. Whatever that meant.

Connor heard Gunn shuffling towards the door before he heard the knock. Luck enough, giving him enough time to hop of the comfy chair in the corner and over to the desk.

"Come in," replied Connor, looking intently at his ethics notes.

"Hey, Sparky," Gunn said, opening up the door. "Wanna eat? Fred just called up, said she's grabbing some-

"Tacos?" said Connor with a wide smile.

Gunn smiled back.

"Yep! So?"

Connor jumped up, happy to leave his work for his least favorite subject.

Gunn, a little too used to his own diversion tactics, especially when it came to something as sucky as school, gave Connor his patent 'I'm on to you' look.

"What?" Connor asked coming up in front of him.

"You done here?"

Connor shrugged. He'd done his history, English and religion work, everything else just seemed idiotic. The only other thing he might do would be his language work, but he wasn't too interested on that either.

"Yep, all done."

"Need me to look over anything?"

Connor eyed the older fighter.

"Okay, need me to get someone to look anything over for you?"

Connor scoffed.

"No. Not necessary."

"Doesn't your dad usual look some of that over?"

Connor shrugged, sidestepping Gunn and leaving the study, heading into the bathroom directly in front.

"Not today, I guess," answered Connor, shutting the door behind him.

Gunn gave the opened notebook a look before shaking his head. He knew that the lack of attention was bothering the kid, especially from Angel, but tonight wasn't his night it seemed.

Fred came up a few minutes later, arms loaded with Taco Bell take out bags. Lorne and Wesley both joined them, going over their days and pointedly avoiding the topic of Spike.

After the meal, Fred took Connor back to the study, showing him the basics of the laptop until it was time for him to go to bed. Sighing, Connor tried to stay awake until his dad came in to say goodnight, but by the time his eyes slid shut some two and a half hours past his bedtime the only sounds in the penthouse were those of the rest of the gang in the family room -Lorne and Fred watching a movie while Gunn and Wes played some pool.

The next morning, Connor was less than pleased to note that his dad's bed seemed unused. Getting up, he walked into the bathroom and took a quick shower.

Dressed in his slacks and shirt, Connor carried his socks and shoes into the kitchen, tossing them on top of the counter.

"Dad?" he called out, though he knew that the man wasn't around. No one seemed to be around.

Connor frowned. His alarm clock had definitely already gone off, so someone had had to of set it. Connor made a point of always 'forgetting' to set the thing, so he knew that it wasn't him.

Sighing, Connor grabbed a box of Cocoa Puffs cereal and a bowl. He'd never had had to make his own breakfast and like he'd thought the night before he didn't really know if there was a way to mess it up. His dad had always been up to make it for him and the few times that he hadn't been Fred and Gunn were both their making something.

Turned out, cereal wasn't that complicated, so Connor didn't starvation. However, instead of sitting at the counter like he did each morning, Connor took his bowl into the family room, and sat back on the couch. Crossing his ankles over the center table he switched on the TV and smiled at his small rebellion.

"Whatcha watching there, " a voice said from behind him.

Connor jumped slightly, spilling some of the cereal's milk on to the leather couch.

"Wha- Aww shit!"

Spike walked around the couch, coming up in front of the boy. He was glancing at the TV, watching it with interests.

"Least he's got some class, that's a damn good set," muttered Spike to himself. "But why are you watching the Real World? Everyone knows that thing's fake."

Spike turned to see Connor looking at him intently.

"What?"

"What are you doing here?!" Connor asked, looking around as to how the blonde vampire got into the room without his knowing. "How did you get _in_ here?"

Spike shrugged.

"Thought myself in I guess. Though, not really what I'd thought," added Spike, taking a better look around the place.

"_Thought _your way in?"

Again Spike shrugged, just as the elevator _ting_ed.

Stepping into the living room, Angel was not happy at what he saw.

"Spike," he growled at the vamp.

Both Spike and Connor looked over at him, though both knew it was him the second that the elevator doors had slid open.

"What are you doing here!"

"Watching Real World, 'parently," groaned Spike in reply.

"Your not supposed to be _here_, Spike! Go…think yourself back or something. Get out of the penthouse. And stay away from Connor."

"What?" Connor questioned, looking over at his dad. "Stay away?"

"Yes! Stay away," repeated Angel, hoping that would bore into each other. "Don't even know what the heck you even are, Spike! You want to put other's in danger?"

Spike sighed, rolling his eyes at the elder vamp.

"Fred said nothings a-matter with me. I am nothing, so to speak. Ain't gonna be a harm to the boy," Spike pointed out.

Angel crossed his arms, shaking his head at the stupidity that was everything Spike said.

"You're a harm to everyone around you, Spike."

"Hey!"

"How can he harm me, when he can't even _touch_ me?" Connor asked, making a point by leaning forward and passing his foot through Spike's shins.

"Connor, don't do that," Angel said, not too certain why, since the boy was right.

"Watch it!" growled Spike, taking an unnecessary step away.

Angel walked over to his son, tabbing him on the shoulder.

"Why don't you go and get dressed now, Con?"

Connor groaned, hoping that the unexpected appearance would have made the whole school thing slip his dad's mind.

"What are you talking about?" Connor asked, turning back to watch the television.

"Not buying it, son. And…what are you doing eating out of the kitchen?"

Spike rolled his eyes. What was it about the poof that made him want to control everything.

"Um, eating?"

Angel glared down at him, making Connor groaned and stand up, heading huffily towards the master bedroom and into his ridiculous uniform.

Spike watched the interaction, wondering much about the boy but more about how to use him to get back at Angel.

"What?"

Spike, snapped out of him thoughts, he turned away from the closed door and to the angsty vamp.

"What what?"

Angel groaned, not wanting to start anything with Spike.

"Leave. Now. Bye."

Angel shut off the TV and then, ignoring Spike all along, headed out of the family room and into the kitchen. He spotted the black dress socks and shiny black shoes that had no business being on the table. He groaned as he picked them up, intent on going to give them back to his son.

"My _God_ but you're anal."

"Spike, I said to go away."

Spike scoffed.

"Right, like suddenly _you're_ the boss of _me_?"

"What do you want? And how the heck are you sitting on top of the counter? I thought that you were supposed to slip through or something?"

Looking down at the counter that he was currently on, Spike had to shrug. He had no idea how he was doing the things that he was doing. He was pretty new at the whole ghost thing.

"Dunno. Guess not. Curious."

Angel shook his head, wondering why he over bothered with the idiot and headed out the kitchen and right into -

"Gah! Spike!"

Spike laughed. Sure, this whole popping in and out of place was annoying, but it was fun getting Angel all agitated.

"As for me being here, well isn't that your department?"

Angel sighed, walking right through Spike and trying to walk on like that totally didn't freak him out.

"How about I call you when we've got something? Bye Spike."

Spike, shaking himself from the lack of feeling in his body, just morphed himself out of the penthouse. He'd find out more about Junior later, on his own time.

To Be Continued...


	8. Things Are Achanging!

**CHAPTER TITLE**: Things Are A-changing!  
**RATING**: R, for language, violence and stuff  
**SUMMARY**: So Spike's there. Nothing new. Connor's bitching, Spike's exploring, and the rest of the gang is on edge. But why?  
**PROMPT**: Connor AU Series  
**WARNING**: Here there be, language mainly  
**CHARACTERS**: Angel, Connor, Wes, Gunn, Lorne, Fred, Spike, Dave, Vin, and B  
**DISCLAIMER**: Let's just say, if I owned Angel, I wouldn't need to be writing fanfics, now would I? They would be episodes. AND it would not have been canceled.

Hello All!! Glad to be back posting!! Now, enjoy!

Title comes from a John Legend song. It's a good song, but I can't remember the title of it. Also, there's a Bob Dylan song that's kind of like the title. It says 'Times' though. I just want to CMA and say that too ;)

Thanks to all of you who read, review, favorite, and all that! You rock!! Go you!!!_

* * *

1010am, Pre- 4th Block Break _

Connor groaned as he flopped down besides Vin in front of B. He tossed his bag down on the ground as he leaned back against the school building's side.

"Oooh, what's with you Con-man?"

Connor shrugged out of his black blazer, tossing it on top of his backpack.

"Life sucks," he groaned.

Brendon rolled his eyes.

"Connor, we're sixteen, trust me, _we_ know!"

Connor rolled his eyes. He looked down at his wrist, which held the new bracelet. He fingered it, ignoring the consistent beeping that it wet through the device to signify his every move.

"Trust me, this beats whatever you're talking about."

"Who?" B challenged.

"Heard about me and Dave going out with Vin?"

"Yeah," B replied, punching Vin on his leg. "Like you couldn't wait 'til I was off of work, you bastard."

Vincent rolled his eyes, tossing a cookie at B's head.

"Like you'd have wanted to come?"

"Uh, yeah! Seriously, L. D."

"After work? Dude, you lie!"

B, taking the cookie that now lied on the floor, tossed it back at Vin's head, hitting him on the nose instead when Vin looked back over to Connor.

"Hey!"

Connor shook his head, ignoring his friends. The damn bracelet was taking up his whole mind. He wanted the stupid thing off, now.

David finally arrived, flopping down on the grass besides B using Connor's bag as a pillow.

"Someone, please, shot me."

"God, you two!" B said, sounding like he was appalled that the two young members of their group were complaining. "Seriously, you don't know trouble until you've got

"Oh, spare us the pity party, dude. Maefield, what's up?"

David groaned, turning over to look at Vin. Then, he took a good look at Connor and Brendon in turn. Finally, he flipped back down on the grass. He said one word, but they each knew, even Connor with his limited experience, what he meant.

"Robinson."

Collective groans as Dave covered his face with his hands.

"Ah, man. Sucks!" B said, mentally agreeing that that was something to complain about.

"How long?" Vin asked, dreading the answer.

"Full week, starting today, _and_ all breaks starting next."

"Damn, full week of detention. She's such a little _bitch_."

"You have my utmost sympathy," B said, sincerely.

"So, Con-man, what's with you? Lyons' hassling you?" Vin asked, referring to Connor's art teacher, who he'd just been to in 3rd block.

Connor sighed, wishing for once it'd be that simply.

"No, Mrs. Lyons is great. She likes my drawings. My Uncle Gunn says I take after my dad," replied Connor in monotone.

B frowned.

"Dude, you can draw? Easy A! Lyons will love you!"

"Yeah, well you can't even draw a straight stick figure," teased Vincent.

B growled at him, wishing he'd saved the cookie toss for _that_ comment, but not denying the truth behind the statement.

Connor and Dave laughed at him.

"Aw, dude. That's just so fucking sad!"

"A stick figure, B?" Connor snickered, shaking his head.

"Ignoring both of you," B said, pointedly turning around and away from them. Not that anyone minded.

"Cool bracelet, Con," Dave said, noticing the black bracelet with its silver charm.

Connor groaned.

"This is the very source of my cruel life."

"Wow, that's drama for you," muttered B, not turning around.

"Yeah, no kidding. It's not like an engagement bracelet or something, right Con?" Vin asked, eyeing the younger boy with a fearful look.

"What? What the hell are you on now? No!"

"Looks fancy," Vin stated, leaning over Connor's shoulder to grab a better look.

"Who cares what it looks like," grumbled Connor.

"My guess is that you don't like it," Dave noted.

Connor scoffed. Understatement to the max.

"This _fancy_ little shit is a fucking tracker," Connor informed them, not all that caring that he'd said that bad word again since he was more than a little pissed at his situation.

"Tracker?"

"Yep," replied Connor, glaring at the detested device.

Brendon, who by now noticed that no one cared that he "wasn't paying attention", twisted around to look at the said device. Vin had been right, the little device looked pretty damn fancy. He would never had thought that it would have been a tracker.

"You sure it's a tracker, Con? I mean, how'd you get one?"

"Or rather yet, _why_ would you want to track yourself?"

"I didn't!" Connor told them, rolling his eyes. "Think that if I'd gotten it myself I'd be pissed of about it?"

"Good point," Dave was quick to say.

"So?" pressed B.

Connor sighed heavily, slumping further down onto the ground.

"Remember Friday night? Well, let's just say that my dad wasn't too happy about it, okay?"

The boys cringed, except for B who had no idea what they were talking about. As far as he knew, they just went to the club, no problems. So, after filling him in, B too agreed with Connor that really sucked.

Regardless, their break was soon over and the friends all headed over to the gymnasium where all four of them had their fourth block.

Spike soon learned that, while he hated being invisible and near his grand sire, "life" still had a few perks.

For instance, the ladies locker room in the company gym on the fifth floor could no longer tell him he was not able to enter.

For another thing, it really allowed him to enter any room and if he remained quiet and hidden, he could eavesdrop on anyone.

Which taught him his once girlfriend Harmony had a strange obsession with David Cassidy and forever scarred him.

However, it also gave him insight on his own situation.

"I've tried contacting them, but no one will bother talking to me."

"Giles told us enough to set us on some track. I've been checking up on things that either contain or control a lost soul. Maybe he came into contact with one of these without his knowledge."

"It'd be just like Spike to touch something he shouldn't," scoffed Angel.

Hey, thought Spike, wanting to defend himself. But, Nancy boy had a point. He did tend to act before thinking. 

"Regardless, I haven't found a thing that looks like that amulet did."

"Has the artifacts team finished reconstructing it?"

"I'm afraid not. It seems whatever magic was contained within it made it so that it could not be reassembled."

Angel sighed, leaning back against the conference table. He was looking over the papers of information they did have, which was just a steady repetition of how no one knew anything.

"I guess the magic squad has been looking into it?"

Wes nodded, ignoring that Angel refused to call any department by their given names.

"And Fred's demanding that they speed up the process. She really wants to look at it once it's reconstructed."

Spike smiled at himself from his perch near the sofas in Angel's office. Wesley's back was to him and Angel's constant pacing in front of the papers kept him form being overseen.

He was really glad that the nice Southern girl had really seemed dedicated to her promise to help him. Sure, she seemed interested in his state of being - physical state of being that was - but instead of treating him like some lab rat used to poke needles at, she was really giving his case all her attention.

Granted, she really couldn't poke needles into him.

"Well, seems like that's not going to be happening just quite yet, is it?" sighed Angel.

At times, Spike thought that his sire just wanted to get rid of him. But, having known the guy for -oh a few decades really- he could hear the concern in his voice. Angel really was worried about whatever the hell had happened to him.

And Spike, though he would never admit it, was really glad.

"Guess that's it, really," Wes sighed, also hating that the blond vamp was stuck in this predicament. Especially since that meant the man couldn't leave the building at all and tended to harass personnel and annoy the heck out of the AI team.

Angel nodded and they both made to leave. Spike tried to quickly think himself out of the office, into the hallway or something, but Angel was quick to spot him shaking his head.

"Damnit Spike," he muttered, instantly annoyed with him.

"Wha?" asked Spike in return, feigning innocence since he didn't manage to escape the scene.

Angel glared at him, but then decided not to give into him.

"Forget it. I'll see you later, Wesley."

"Right. Meeting at four, bout the Kantor demon."

Angel groaned but nodded. He headed to his elevator, intent on going up to the pent house for a while, maybe wait the hour before Connor got back, as Wes headed out the door. Spike followed him.

Connor was pleased to entertain the young vampire. He was a lot more laid back than the rest of the team, even Gunn.

Sitting in the family room, big screen TV filled with the graphic scene of his latest video game, Connor couldn't be happier.

As for Spike, well he wished he could actually _play_ the game, but he was happy enough at the moment to just watch and comment.

It'd been a week since he'd been there and Angel had finally given up on trying to keep the two apart. Because apparently the two greatest terrors in his life got along really well.

The rest of the team was trying to work on a way to get Spike solid again, which left their plates filled with various obligations. The latest of which was after Gunn had announced he'd been thinking about making himself a more intricate part of the firm.

Wesley and Fred had both advised against it, but it was Lorne who had really given it any thought. Together, Lorne and Gunn made certain that what was going to be done to Gunn was going to be legit.

So, that very day, as Spike and Connor sat obliviously playing in the penthouse, the rest of the team sat anxiously at the office below them worrying about the condition of their missing member.

Gunn was going to be 'brainwashed' in a sense. He was going to obtain all the legal, ethical, and practical rules and regulations to all the known societies and cultures known to Wolfram and Hart. Which, of course consisted manly of other galaxies and demons.

The process was a long one. Gunn had said his 'goodbyes' last night - at one when they all normally turned in for the night - and had headed straight there. Wherever _there_ was, since Gunn wouldn't tell them and Angel apparently wasn't given clearance. He was expected to be with 'the' all day long and would return to them the following morning.

Wesley had looked over the contract and had found that to his knowledge there weren't any loop holes. Which was weird even in a normal legal situation.

Nevertheless, all of them were worried, except of course for Connor - who hadn't been told a thing - and Spike - who for being with Connor lately hadn't heard a thing.

Fred was the worst off of them all, seeing as how Gunn was not only her friend but also her boy friend. She kept herself busy in her lab, doing three projects herself without an assistance just to make sure she wouldn't have a second of thoughts left to worry.

But, of course she did.

Yet, come four the next morning, while Connor was long tucked away and Spike was finally hanging around the team, the ever attractive Charles Gunn walked into Angel's office (where the others were camping out) and looked none for worst.

"Charles!" Fred had shrieked, at the sight of him entering the door.

She ran over to him, giving him a great hug.

"Are you alright?" she muttered against his chest.

Smiling at the rest of his friends, Gunn hugged his girl tightly.

"Like a million bucks," he replied. "But, damn am I hungry!"

To Be Continued...

More soon!! Happy Belated V-Day!


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